All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.
See all EU institutions and bodiesEnvironmental noise pollution, and in particular road traffic noise, is a growing concern across Europe.
The EEA estimates that at least 20% of the EU population are living in areas where noise levels are considered harmful to health. Long-term exposure to noise from environmental sources such as road, rail and air transport can cause a variety of health effects including annoyance, sleep disturbance, negative effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic system, as well as cognitive impairment in children.
For further information, please consult our latest report Environmental noise in Europe — 2020, visit the noise observation and information service in Europe, consult our noise country factsheets or the European environment and health atlas.