6.9.   Transport (vehicles and aircraft, etc.)

Endeavours to combat pollution from traffic can involve measures directed at the source (6.9.1), measures aimed at curbing traffic (6.9.2) and noise abatement of noise-plagued homes (6.9.3).

It should be mentioned here that transport of hazardous substances is regulated in the relevant transport legislation: In the case of road transport, by the Road Traffic Act, and in the case of rail transport, by special international rules that are administered by the Danish State Railways.

6.9.1.   Measures directed at the source:

Environmental requirements to motor vehicles and aircraft are laid down by the EC. Harmonization was initiated before the word "environment" was discovered, cars being a particularly important product in the common market.

The EC’s environmental requirements are implemented unamended as Danish requirements, there being only one example where Denmark has decided a course of its own. At the end of the 1980s, discussions were held within the EC concerning making catalytic converters obligatory on private cars. Denmark imports all its cars, and at that time the majority of manufacturers were able to deliver cars fitted with catalytic converters, even though this did not apply to all European car manufacturers. Denmark decided to unilaterally impose a catalytic converter requirement on all new cars f rom 1 October 1990. The EC threatened to instigate a Treaty infringement case. However, when the EC Parliament took the side of Denmark the Commission was forced to change its attitude and propose rules corresponding to the Danish rules. They were then adopted and came into force in the whole of the EC from 1 January 1993.

It should be noted that implementation of the EC requirements takes place through the vehicle model approval of new cars. How much the individual car owner’s car pollutes after it has been in use for some time is unknown, and is not investigated. However, the EC has imposed a requirement for periodical testing of cars from 1994, although in some Member States not until 1998. One of the effects that this will have is that car owners will be forced to maintain their cars. In order to reduce VOC pollution, requirements have been imposed since 1995 that new petrol pumps have to be fitted with equipment for the recycling of petrol fumes. Existing facilities have to comply with the requirement by the year 2000. In order to accelerate installation of such equipment a petrol levy rebate of DKK 0.03 per litre is allowed to stations with fume recycling equipment.

In the case of aircraft, requirements on noise levels are in effect laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These are incorporated as EC rules, and Denmark implements the EC requirements unamended through the air traffic legislation.

Another approach to regulating at the source is the stipulation of requirements on fuel quality. In this regard the EC has laid down rules on the sulphur content of petrol and diesel, and the lead content of petrol (see Section 6.2 above).

Progress on the regulation of traffic pollution at the source can be summarized as follows:

Regulation of fuel quality has resulted in significantly less air pollution (see Section 6.2 above).

As a result of regulations directed at vehicles, the individual vehicle now pollutes considerably less with respect to both air and noise pollution than was the case 20 years ago. However, as traffic has increased significantly during the same period, the overall result has not been positive on all fronts. Nevertheless, the requirement for fitting all new cars with catalytic converters will ensure that air pollution will fall in coming years.

International measures directed at aircraft noise have made aircraft less noisy. This has been of some help to noise-plagued inhabitants in the vicinity of Copenhagen International Airport.

Air pollution trafic.emissions of CO2,CO,NOx,NMVOC and SO2(1975-92)

6.9.2.   Measures directed at traffic:

The environmental problems can also be curtailed by traffic regulating measures. The EC has not regulated the topic, but a 1992 White Paper recommends that a greater part of goods transport should be undertaken by rail.

That is not how things have developed in practice, however, and certainly not in Denmark. Denmark has a few rules that hold motoring in check: Cars are extremely expensive because of a vehicle purchase tax of approx. 200%. A tax rebate is given for travel to work, but this is the same whether the travel is undertaken by public transport or by private car. On the other hand, however, petrol prices are relatively low by European standards (1995 price DKK 5.70 for unleaded 92 octane petrol), having been lower ed in 1992 to put an end to cross-frontier trade across the German border.

Measures directed at traffic such as the construction of bypasses or the physical hindrance of through traffic in towns are rather common in Denmark.

One of the rules of Danish town and country planning is that new houses may not be built in areas where road noise exceeds 55 dB(A).

Progress resulting from the regulatory measures directed at traffic over the last 10-15 years has probably been considerable, even though it can be difficult to distinguish the effects of these measures from those attributable to the other types of measure. For example, the number of highly noise-plagued homes has fallen from 225,000 in 1980 to 145,000 in 1993, probably mainly as a result of bypass construction and reorganization of traffic in the towns.

6.9.3.   Noise abatement measures:

Since 1992 the Ministry of Transport has begun to undertake noise abatement along state-owned roads. Thus in 1992 and 1993, a total of DKK 35 million was invested in noise deflection and sound proofing, which improved conditions for a number of homes exposed to noise levels exceeding 65 dB(A). Over the next 15 years the Ministry of Transport expects to invest several thousand million DKK to relieve homes exposed to noise levels exceeding 65 dB(A), 145,000 homes in all. Of these, approx. 50,000 can be helped by measures aimed at traffic, while for the remaining 95,000 the solution will be noise deflection or sound proofing. As there is not usually room for noise deflectors near existing housing, the main solution will be sound proofing.