WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2696/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Noise pollution and sport
3. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 102/93 Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (23 September 1997) The Commission is extremely aware of the problem of flooding which too frequently takes place throughout Europe. A great deal of thinking and action has taken place over the last few years in order to give the Member States support in seeking ways to limit the risks and consequences of this type of event. It will not fail to encourage and support the Member States in devising preventive measures and making up for the shortcomings is the action taken in the past in order to improve river basins. This applies to the recent action begun under Community initiative Interreg II. In addition several research programmes have been devoted to the problem of flooding. These are aimed at developing techniques to ensure that a higher level of safety is achieved. However, it does not fall within the Commission’s competence to identify and monitor risk situations in the Member States, since this falls within the powers of the national, regional and local authorities within those Member States. (98/C 102/135) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2696/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: Noise pollution and sport Regarding the proposals set out in the Green Paper entitled Future noise policyí (COM(96) 0540), the measures aimed at reducing noise emissions from two-wheeled vehicles could restrict, or even jeopardize the existence of, motor cycling as a sport. To avert this threat and bring the sport of motor cycling into line with environmental protection requirements, thereby ensuring its survival, will the Commission: 1. determine whether the noise limits applying to moto-cross races could be based on the regulations issued by the sports authorities? 2. call on the national sports federations concerned to harmonize the noise standards to be observed in motor-cycle races? Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (13 October 1997) Parliament and Council Directive 97/24/EC of 17 June 1997 on certain components or characteristics of two or three-wheel motor vehicles (1) is aimed, in particular, at regulating the permissible noise level of such motor vehicles (Chapter 9). That Directive applies to all of the vehicles covered by Council Directive 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 on the type approval of two or three-wheel vehicles (2). However, vehicles intended for competitions, whether on the road or cross-country, have been excluded from the scope of Directive 92/61/EEC for the reasons mentioned by the Honourable Member. They are therefore not subject to the Community’s requirements concerning permissible noise level. (1) OJ L 226, 18. 8. 1997. (2) OJ L 225, 10. 8. 1992