BAR STAFF WILL NOT BE FORCED TO WEAR EAR MUFFS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 6th Mar 2002

NOISE DIRECTIVE AMENDMENT TO PROTECT MUSIC, PUBS ... AND BAGPIPES

An amendment to further protect pubs, music and entertainment from the proposed EU Noise Directive put down by Lib Dem Euro MP Liz Lynne has a good chance of success, MEPs believe.

Liz Lynne, a Liberal Democrat member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, has co-sponsored a compromise amendment on behalf of the ELDR group to remove the music and entertainment sector from the terms of the new directive.

Instead, the amendment proposes that the Commission would produce a report, after consultation with both sides of the industry affected. The report would look at the impact the directive would have on the sector and suggest proposals either for a special form of regulation or to exclude them from the directive altogether.

Liz Lynne said: "We feel there is a need for a specific amendment to take into account the special circumstances in the music and entertainment sectors.

"There would be difficulties for pubs, clubs and other venues where background noise and echoes combined with music could reach a daily level of 90 decibels. This could then mean bar staff would have to wear ear muffs, which plainly would be ridiculous.

"This is a common sense amendment and I hope MEPs will support it when it is debated and voted on at the plenary session in Strasbourg next week. If it does go through it will be subject to the co-decision procedure with the Council of Ministers. I hope they will see the sense in this."

Liz Lynne has been working closely with industry representatives to try and get a practical text for the noise directive agreed. Extensive lobbying prior to the last Employment and Social Affairs committee achieved significant U turns by the Socialist Rapporteur Helle Thorning Schmidt from her original impractical position. The use of hearing

protectors was agreed when setting maximum noise limits and the rapporteur also agreed to weekly average noise limits in 'exceptional' circumstances.

Liz added: "These were massive gains but do not go far enough. Although I am pleased the rapporteur moved away from her insistence on measuring on a daily basis, I am working to persuade Parliament to back weekly limits in 'duly justified' rather than 'exceptional' circumstances."

Liz Lynne said the chances to change the directive to a sensible and workable form followed the vote in committee two weeks ago.

"If the Conservative EPP group had got their way and voted down the report in Committee, there would be no way we could get these amendments through. Under the rules we would not be able even to debate the directive at Strasbourg next week, let alone amend it. Party political posturing nearly ruined months of work by many MEPs and industry representatives."