Directive 2002/49/EC – more commonly known as the Environmental Noise Directive (END) – concerns noise from road, rail and air traffic and from industry. It focuses on the impact of such noise on individuals, complementing existing EU legislation which sets standards for noise emissions from specific sources.

The directive requires:

• the determination of exposure to environmental noise, through noise mapping
• provision of information to the public on environmental noise and its effects
• adoption of action plans, based upon noise mapping results, which are designed to manage environmental noise and its effects, including noise reduction if necessary
• preservation by the member states of environmental noise quality where it is good.

The directive requires mapping and action planning in relation to noise from major roads, major railways, major airports and agglomerations (large urban areas).

In England the directive is implemented through the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended). As noise is a devolved issue, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced their own legislation to implement the directive.