Noise Pollution In Albania Towards European Standards

Noise pollution is disturbing noise with a harmful impact on the activity of human or animal life. Noise nuisance is a global phenomenon that generates a sense of resentment associated with any agent or condition that is recognized or trusted by an individual or group of individuals to adversely affect them. The health impacts of environmental noise are a growing concern for the general public as well as policymakers in Europe. Unwanted noise can damage psychological health, can cause hypertension, high levels of stress, hearing loss, sleep disturbances and other harmful effects. Albania ranks among the countries with the highest acoustic pollution in Europe. Every citizen has the right to be protected from the harmful effects of environmental noise. The institutional responsibilities for disciplining noise-generating activities are related to the ministry or authority responsible for licensing. The protection applies to noise, which exposes people to the environment where they live, in residential areas, in public institutions, in public parks, in nature, in children’s institutions, health’s institutions, educational, cultural, religious institutions and others environments similar to them. This paper aims to analyze the legal, administrative and organizational measures taken to manage environmental noise in Albania, as well as to comply with the requirements of the EU Basic Directive and other related directives, identifying problems related to this sector. The methods used to carry out this paper are descriptive, analytical, and comparative.