European ruling on noise limits could spell end of pub music

Campaigners who have been calling for the pub trade to be exempt from Europe's new noise limits have lost their fight this month.

Under a new European ruling licensees will have to implement a maximum noise limit of 85 decibels to protect their staff. The industry fears that live bands and karaoke may have to be cancelled because they are too loud, or pubs could face prosecution.

Pubs will be given an extra two years until 2007 to enforce the ruling which is expected to be in force in other workplaces by 2005.

The European Parliament was facing a stand-off last month over plans to force licensees to cut noise levels. Trade campaigners celebrated in March when an amendment was introduced to exempt bars while more research was carried out.

Trade leaders are now pressing the government to explain how it plans to implement the new noise limits which have been agreed by the European Parliament. Each country in Europe is being encouraged to draw up its own code of conduct to detail how it will be implemented.

James Wilson, spokesman for Six Continents and an expert on European law, said: "It's important for the trade to meet with the government and the Health and Safety Executive to explain their concerns and explore the options for developing a code."

Karen Kelshaw, spokeswoman for the British Beer and Pub Association, agreed. "We need to concentrate now on how it's going to be implemented," she said.

Robert Humphreys, spokesman for the All-party Parliamentary Beer Group, said that a "common sense reasonable regime" would need to be introduced for the trade.

However, TUC leader John Monks has welcomed the new limits. "Noise exposures can be reduced without interfering with anyone's enjoyment," he said.

"Unions and employers will be working together to make the transition easier for clubs and concert halls."

The story this year...​

• January 2002:​ representatives from the All-party Parliamentary Beer Group and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) met to discuss European noise reduction proposals. New recommendations from MEPs mean lower noise limits in pubs and could lead to music-free pubs.
• February 2002:​ Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries wrote to all MPs and MEPs warning them there were still "major problems" with the noise directive.
  The BBPA wrote to Danish MEP Helle Thorning-Schmidt to protest at European proposals to limit noise levels in pubs.
• March 2002:​ the trade celebrated after MEPs voted to amend the noise proposals, originally aimed at cutting noise in factories, to exclude music in pubs.
• September 2002:​ the European Council and the European Parliament failed to agree the amendment to exclude pubs from its noise proposals.
• October 2002:​ noise proposals agreed without amendment for the pub trade.

Related articles:​

European Parliament could drop noise directive (4 September 2002)

Trade celebrates as noise proposal is finally silenced (14 March 2002)

Noise ban threat lingers on (28th February 2002)

European noise reduction proposals dropped (14 February 2002)

BBPA joins protest over European proposals to limit pub noise (4 February 2002)

European noise reduction proposals debated (25 January 2002)

Trade hits out at 'straight banana' proposal that could end pub music (17 January 2002)