Treatment of road traffic noise in EU countries with a focus on Directive 2002/49/EC

The trend of continuous increase for mobility requirements results in a progressive increase in the use of vehicles of all modes of transport, which contributes to a significant increase in noise levels, especially in urban areas. The most significant noise in urban areas is traffic noise, where road traffic contributes the most. This paper reviews the treatment of road traffic noise in the European Union with a focus on Directive 2002/49 / EC. The paper presents the basics of the mechanisms of the institutional and management framework in the field of road traffic noise monitoring in EU countries. Also, the results of road traffic noise monitoring in EU countries, indicators of population exposure to road traffic noise, as well as indicators of the impact of road traffic noise on the health of the population, were presented.