92002E3911

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3911/02

by Dirk Sterckx (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 January 2003)

Subject: Application of Directive 2000/14/EC to cooling equipment in trucks

The revision of the European regulation governing social provisions in the road haulage sector has once again made the compulsory rest periods which lorry drivers must take a topical issue. In practice, drivers would not seem to be able to take this much-needed rest whenever they want, because cooling equipment fitted to trucks causes noise pollution when such trucks are parked overnight so that the driver can sleep. Directive 2000/14/EC(1) on noise emission by equipment for use outdoors stipulates only that such cooling equipment must carry an official mark and sets no noise emission limit.

Can the Commission state why no noise emission limit has been imposed on cooling equipment and whether it agrees that the directive should perhaps be revised so that lorry drivers are no longer faced with noise pollution of this kind?

(1) OJ L 162, 3.7.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2003)

When the Commission made its proposal for Directive 2000/14/EC(1) on noise emission by equipment for use outdoors, insufficient data was available to set noise emission limit values for cooling equipment on vehicles. Such equipment was therefore included under the scope of Article 13 of the Directive which requires the guaranteed sound power level of equipment to be subject to noise marking only.

The noise requirements under the Directive are set so as to protect citizen's health and the environment, but do not specifically target protection against noise in the workplace, including the noise experienced by drivers of trucks equipped with cooling equipment.

Article 20 of the Directive foresees a review process with regular reports from 2005 and onwards from the Commission to the Parliament and the Council on its experience in the implementation and administration of the Directive, including an assessment of whether any equipment falling under the scope Article 13 could be moved to Article 12 which requires compliance with limit values.

In the context of this review process, the Commission will assess whether the available data, including that collected under the Directive, suggest that it could be revised by introducing noise limit values on cooling equipment on vehicles.

(1) Directive 2000/14/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors, OJ L 162, 3.7.2000.