24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunitiesNoC49/7
3.3.8.2.Inthisconnection,itshouldbepointedout
thattheRapporteurs'Grouponbrakingdevices(GRRF)ofECEWorkingParty29inGenevaiscon­
sideringthisverytopicatpresent.
DoneatBrussels,18December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective70/157/EEConthe
approximation ofthelawsoftheMemberStatesrelatingtothepermissiblesoundleveland
theexhaustsystemofmotorvehicles
92/C49/04)
On7August1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,under
Article100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon4December1991,inthelight
oftheReportbyMrPearson.
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof18December1991)theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
1.1.TheSectionfullysupportstheconcernofthe
Commissiontoreducefurtherthenoiselevelattribu­
tabletomotorvehicletraffic,theeverincreasingvolume
ofwhichaggravatesthesituation,anditthusendorses
theproposalssubjecttothefollowingpoints.levelarisingfromthecontactoftyreswiththeroad
surfaceby31March1994anditregretsthatthedate
issofaraway.TheCommitteealsorecognizesthe
importanceofthetypeofroadsurfaceinrelationto
vehiclenoiseandurgestheCommissiontoaddressthis
issue.
2.3.Constraintsapplicabletothepermissiblesound
levelofmotorvehiclesshouldequallybeofconcernin
relationtotwo-wheelandtothree-wheelvehicles.
2.4.DuetotheforesightoftheCommissionand
withthecooperationoftheautomobileindustry,very
substantialnoiselevelreductionshavebeenachieved
inrecentyears:theproposedreductionsarealready
possibleinanumberofpassengercarmodelsbutmay
bedifficulttoattaininafullmodelrange.Inviewof
theintendedoperationoftheEuropeanEconomicArea
itisimportantthatthereisequalapplicationwithin
thecountriesoftheEuropeanFreeTradeAssociation
(EFTA).2.Generalcomments
2.1.Thepositionhasbeenreachedinthetechnical
capabilityoftheEuropeanmotorindustrywhereby
factorsotherthanthenoiseleveloftheengine,gearbox,
axledriveandexhaustsystemareofequalpriorityto
beresolved:thecontactnoiseleveloftyresontheroad
surfaceisone.
2.2.InArticle4,theCommitteenotesthattheCom­
missionintendstotableproposalsconcerningthenoise

NoC49/8 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
useofincentives,assuggestedinArticle3,toencourage
implementation ofthemeasurespriortothedeadlines
setoutinordertoassisttheimprovementofthe
environment .2.5.ThecoordinationbetweentheCommunityand
EFTAintheharmonization ofregulationsintheareaof
exhaustemissionsandnoiselevelswillbeofsignificant
advantagetotheenvironment .
2.6.TheCommitteeseeshoweverthattherecanbe
considerabledifficultyorconfusionintheapplication
ofthisDirectiveunlesstheimplementation datesare
alignedwiththoseoftheexhaustemissionDirectives
andotherrelatedDirectives .TheCommitteebelieves
thatthereshouldbeasingledeadlineforallrequire­
mentsforheavymotorvehicles(trucks)andlikewisea
singledeadlineforpassengervehicles(cars)andurges
theCounciltoaligntheimplementation datesofthe
Directiveswhenmakingitsformaldecision.
2.7.TheCommitteenotesthatthisDirectivepro­
videsforcompulsoryharmonization ofstandardsin
relationto'permissiblesoundlevelandexhaustsystems
ofmotorvehicles',theprovisionshithertohavingbeen
optionalforMemberStates.
2.8.TheCommitteewouldcommenttheMember
States,intheirimplementation oftheDirective,tomake2.9.TheCommitteereiteratesyetagainitsconcern
thatmanyMemberStatesdonotsufficientlymonitor
andcontrolvehicleroadworthiness —exhaustandother
noiselevels,exhaustemissions,mechanicalnoise—and
pointsoutthattheefficacyofnationallegislationin
thisareaisgreatlylessenedunlessregulartestingof
vehiclesiscarriedout.Itistheillmaintainedvehicles
thatcausethemajorpollutionproblems.
2.10.TheCommitteeregretsthatthefiched'impact
appearstobeintheFrenchlanguageonlyandwould
questionwhytheCommissionhadanticipatedthatthe
proposalswouldbefavourable (VII)priortoitshaving
consultedwiththeEconomicandSocialCommittee .It
isincorrectlystatedthatthe'SocialPartners'hadbeen
consulted .
DoneatBrussels,18December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN