• 05 MAR 09
    • 0

    #1031: European Parliament on EMF concerns

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
    On Health Concerns Associated with Electromagnetic Fields

    In a 43-1 vote, the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted OVERWHELMINGLY a Resolution urging the European Commission to recognize growing public and scientific concern over health risks from electromagnetic fields. The Resolution will be voted on in plenary by the full Parliament on 26 March 2009.

    This vote by the Parliament”™s Environmental Committee on February 23, 2009 mirrors the 522-16 vote by the full Parliament last September on the EU Environment and Health Action Plan which called on the European Council to “˜amend its Recommendation 1999/519/EC in order to take into account the Member States’ best practices and thus to set stricter exposure limits for all equipment which emits electromagnetic fields in the frequencies between 0.1 MHz and 300 GHz”™.

    The Resolution identified existing conditions that have lead to the need for the Commission to take urgent notice and take action to address the exponential growth of new technologies that may place societies at increased health risks, and to review the scientific basis and adequacy of the EMF limits.

    Highlights of Adopted Motion (Summary of 29 Points Adopted in Resolution)

    “¢ Calls for review of adequacy of the existing EMF limits.

    “¢ Calls for specific consideration of biological effects.

    “¢ Calls for Member States and industry to address new technologies to reduce EMF exposure

    “¢ Encourages negotiation for new cell siting and transmission lines to avoid siting too close to schools, retirement homes, and health care institutions.

    “¢ Calls for studies on electromagnetic compatibility of artificial EMF with the living human body.

    “¢ Calls on the Commission to issue an annual report on EU levels of EMF and actions taken to protect human health and the environment.

    “¢ Calls for worker protection from EMF (steps to speed implementation of Directive 2004/40/EC)

    “¢ Deplores the delay in publication of the final Interphone Report, and asks the Commission to ask those in charge of the Interphone Project why no definitive findings have been published and, should it receive an answer, to inform Parliament and the Member States without delay.

    “¢ Requests the Commission to earmark funds for awareness campaigns for young Europeans who are cell phone users, including information on health risks and safer methods of use.

    “¢ Calls for ICNIRP and WHO to be more transparent and open to dialogue in standard-setting

    “¢ Proposes the EU”™s Indoor Air Quality policy should encompass study of wireless (indoor WIFI, DECT at home) and in public venues.

    “¢ Calls for improved consumer information and labelling on wireless devices.

    “¢ Calls for a single standard for ELF exposure along electric high-voltage grids.

    “¢ Calls on Member States to recognize persons that suffer from electrohypersensitivity as being disabled so as to grant them adequate protection as well as equal opportunities (as Sweden has done).

    “¢ Instructs its President to forward the Resolution to the Council, the Commissions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Committee of the Regions and the WHO.

    The full Report and result of final vote in Committee can be viewed at:

    “”http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5680652

    Prepared by Cindy Sage, Co-Faciliator, CHE-EMF and Genon Jensen, Executive Director, Health and Environmental Alliance

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