EP report requested by MEP Peter Agius makes 13 recommendations to reduce noise pollution in Malta

A special report by the Citizens Policy Department of the European Parliament commissioned at the request of MEP Peter Agius in the Petitions Committee puts Malta’s noise problem under detailed EU scrutiny and highlights significant health impacts of noise. It also calls for action to address noise sources falling out of the EU Noise Directive. 

The study confirms the Maltese are exposed to noise levels considered harmful to health, primarily from construction and the entertainment industry, but also from road and aircraft traffic.

Noise is acknowledged across Europe as the second most significant environmental health risk after air pollution. The report says that these risks are further intensified in Malta due to its high population density and limited scope for mitigation once development has taken place.

Among its 13 detailed recommendations, the study calls for Malta to broaden noise monitoring and planning to include sources such as construction and entertainment, introduce sound limiters in entertainment venues, and apply stronger regulatory approaches similar to those used for industrial emissions. It also recommends better use of planning and environmental assessment tools, improved public access to noise information, and the creation of a dedicated national body to coordinate noise policy.

“This study confirms what many families in Malta have been saying for years: noise is not a minor inconvenience, it is a real public health issue,” said Peter Agius. “By raising people’s voices in the European Parliament, I want to put this issue high on the local and European agenda making sure that people’s concerns on noise pollution are taken seriously and noise monitoring and reduction measures considered. The focus must now be on effective action, so that residents can finally be more empowered to enjoy a healthier, less noisy environment.”