WRITTEN QUESTION E-1836/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 June 2001)

Subject: Noise pollution at Spata airport

Complaints have been made that aeroplanes landing at and taking off from the new Athens airport, Eleftherios Venizelos, are not using the recommended air corridors and are therefore causing severe noise pollution.

1. Is the Commission aware of these complaints?

2. Has the Greek Government provided the Commission with any details concerning the noise pollution? If not, does it intend to ask for information?

3. What measures will it take to deal with the problem of noise pollution?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2001)

The Honourable Member's written question has drawn the Commission's attention to the situation concerning noise pollution generated by aeroplanes serving the new Athens airport, Eleftherios Venizelos.

Taking off and landing procedures for every airport are laid down by the competent local authorities in compliance with international laws and regulations. These authorities are also responsible for making sure that such procedures are respected in order to guarantee flight safety and respect of the environment. Given this situation, there is no requirement for the Commission to be kept informed by the Greek authorities of any shortcomings in the aeronautical procedures applied at Athens airport. Furthermore, the Commission has not received any specific information about the situation of exposure to noise in Greece.

This is, however, a matter of sound pollution generated by air traffic in the vicinity of transport infrastructures (whether road, rail or air) and, in particular, by air traffic in the vicinity of aerodromes, and the Commission has drawn up a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise(1). An assessment of exposure to noise in the vicinity of major European aerodromes will be carried out on the basis of joint noise indicators at the same time as action plans drawn up at local level to tackle noise problems are implemented. Such action plans could contain the putting into effect of aeronautical procedures which create less noise accompanied by stringent monitoring arrangements.

Furthermore, in accordance with this Directive, Member States will have the responsibility of forwarding information to the Commission relating to the level of noise exposure in the vicinity of major airports. On the basis of this information, measures which are complementary to those included in the action plans may be conceived at European, national and local levels in order to attenuate noise pollution generated by air traffic.

The Council recently reached a joint position on the proposal for a Directive mentioned above which will allow Parliament to commence a second reading of the text in the near future.

The Commission work programme for 2001 provides for the preparation of a Directive to measure noise at Community airports. An instrument of this kind, which will fit compatibly into the broader framework defined by the Directive on environmental noise referred to above, will permit the introduction of acoustic monitoring of the real situation concerning the noise around airports, better treatment of complaints against aircraft noise, the detection of any infringement of normal procedures and the identification of those parties who do not respect the noise limitations laid down.

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.