Airport Regions and ARC members have over the years been engaged in discussing noise nuisance caused by airports and airport-related business. Questions raised are for example: How should legislation evolve in regarding noise nuisance? What should be done to reduce the noise pollution to which people are exposed? How can a better quality of life be guaranteed for the citizens of Europe?
Within the European Union, the total number of passengers carried by air has grown over the past years. This extremely rapid development in the aviation sector brings in its wake an increase in airport noise pollution, particularly for the surrounding populations over which aircraft take off and land.
In order to try to answer these questions representatives of the local and regional authorities met in Brussels at a Round Table on 11 May 2007. The main recommendations that were drawn up by the local and regional authorities during this Round Table of European "overflown" Regions were presented in a special report — ARC Special Report 2:2007. The recommendations fall within the framework of the evaluation process of European Directives 2002/30 and 2002/49 with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions and the management of environmental noise.
