Italy’s Legislative framework

Noise pollution issues are regulated in Italy by Law No. 447 of 26 October 1995, "Framework Law on Noise Pollution".

In particular, for the motorway Licensees, the following general guidelines are given:

the maximum noise exposure and the areas to which they are applied (relevant noise bands) are set by specific implementation decrees and regulations
levels of noise pollution caused by road traffic must be brought down to within the limits of the law defined by the decrees and regulations by preparing and rolling out the multi-year improvement plans;
to carry out noise reduction and abatement works, since 1995 the owners and Licensees of road infrastructures have been obliged by law to allocate no less than 5% of their funds to infrastructure maintenance and improvements; the Finance Law of 1999 afterwards raised this amount to 7%.

For road infrastructures, the Environment Ministry Decree of 29 November 2000 and Presidential Decree No. 142 of 30 March 2004 set the ceiling noise levels to meet and the technical parameters for building the noise mitigation works.

Limiti ammissibili all’interno degli edifici, a finestre chiuse:
35 dB(A) Leqnotturno : ospedali,
40 dB(A) Leqnotturno : abitazioni
45 dB(A) Leqdiurno : scuole.

Autostrade per l'Italia actions
In June 2007, with the delivery of the Correction Plan, Autostrade per l’Italia fulfilled the legal obligations, which made provision to:

identify the areas where, due to noise from its infrastructures, the lawful limits are exceeded (Critical Areas);
formulate the plan to reduce noise pollution for all the critical areas, indicating timescales, costs and intervention formalities (Noise Control and Correction Plan).

Environment Ministry Decree of November 29, 2000 - "Criteria for drafting plans for the control and abatement of noise by companies and bodies that operate public transport services or related infrastructure”;

The decree sets the date by which motorway operators must prepare and subsequently implement their noise abatement plans for their infrastructures. This plan specifies costs, priorities and work methods (barriers, road surfaces, any actions undertaken on individual receptors etc.) with related completion timescales; in particular, the period within which the improvement works for the whole network must be completed is set at 15 years starting from plan’s approval by the Environment Ministry.
As provided for by the Decree, the operators identify the works’ priority taking into account the number of persons exposed and the difference between the current noise levels and the permissible limits.
The Decree sets the criteria for designing the works in terms of noise reduction, identifying the requirements of the models that can be used to simulate noise calculate the barriers’ characteristics; the criteria for assessing the combination of several sources are also established to ensure that the exposed receptors are subjected to the permissible values also in cases where other sources of noise are added to that of the motorway.

Presidential decree of 30 March 2004 – Provisions for the control and prevention of noise pollution caused by vehicular traffic, in accordance with Article 11 of Law 447 26 October 1995.

This Decree completes the legislative scenario with reference to noise from road traffic: it defines the limit values, which are distinguished by type of road, distance from the infrastructure (affected bands within which no account need be taken of the common noise zones), building type (residential, schools and hospitals) and period of exposure (day and night).
For every building, the most critical point of the most exposed wall is considered; as an alternative to the limits of exposure assessed from outside, also the permissible limits inside the homes are considered.
For the existing infrastructures, the limit values must be made by multi-year activity of improvement as per Env. Min. Decree of 29 November 2000.