MEPs reject vehicle noise amendment

Centre-right lose out by one vote.

Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee yesterday rejected, by a margin of just one vote, an attempt to weaken a European Commission proposal for stricter vehicle noise limits.

The compromise amendment, put forward by the centre-right European People’s Party and European Conservatives and Reformists groups, was modelled on a plan put forward in September by Czech centre-right MEP Miroslav Ouzký, who is guiding the legislation through the Parliament.

Ouzký was at the centre of controversy when it was revealed that an adviser for the car-maker Porsche was listed in the ‘author’ field of his submission to MEPs on noise limits. Porsche would benefit from the more generous provisions in the amendment for high-performance cars.

But MEPs voted by 29 to 28 to adopt a compromise put forward by the Socialists, Liberals and Greens that closely mirrors the Commission’s proposal. The centre-right groups had wanted to have a fourth category for heavier passenger cars, which would have meant a higher overall noise threshold. They also wanted less stringent limits for lorries.

Ouzký said after the vote that he will not begin negotiations with member states based on the committee vote, and will instead seek to reverse the decision in a plenary vote by the full Parliament.

T&E, a green campaign group that revealed Ouzký’s ‘author’ error, criticised his decision. “The Commission proposal is already a year old,” said T&E’s Cécile Toubeau. “The Parliament should not introduce yet more delays and should commence negotiations with European Commission and Council immediately.”

Centre-right MEPs and several member states, led by Germany, say the stricter limits will cause problems for the European car-making industry and will result in job losses.