Dear EH focal points,
We are very pleased to inform you about the upcoming launch of the Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, which will take place in Basel, Switzerland, on 10 October 2018, with the kind support of the Swiss Government.
The Guidelines’ development has been coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe through its European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn in response to the request formulated by the Member States at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment
and Health in Parma, Italy, 2010, ‘to develop noise guidelines that include transportation noise sources, but also leisure noise and wind turbine noise that have not been considered thus far’.
We are confident that the Guidelines will support Member States and sub-national and local authorities in the implementation of the commitments taken in Ostrava, particularly with respect to “supporting the efforts of European cities and regions to become
healthier and more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
The Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region have been produced following a rigorous process, involving several groups of experts and stakeholders. The guidelines provide a set of source-specific public health recommendations on long-term
exposure to environmental noise, including road traffic, railway, aircraft, wind turbine, and leisure noise.
We will share with you the link to the new guidelines as soon as they become available on the WHO/Europe website, and will make them available also through the Environment and Health Gateway.
The launch event in Basel will gather representatives of Member States, experts and stakeholders. It is planned as a one-day symposium, with a formal presentation of the guidelines, complemented by panel discussions with experts and stakeholders.
As you might have noticed, we have already sent letters to the national counterparts in all Member States of the WHO European Region inviting them to nominate participants in the event.
Dr Dorota Jarosinska (
jarosinskad@who.int) is the WHO Programme Manager, who is leading this effort, and will be glad to address queries you might have in relation to the Guidelines and/or the launch event.
Best regards,
Francesca Racioppi
Francesca Racioppi
Senior Policy and Programme Adviser
Environment and Health Policy and Governance
Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Well-being
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
UN City/Marmorvej 51
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Tel+45 45 33 6822
Skype: who-racioppif
Euro.who.int