WRITTEN QUESTION E-0732/01

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: Technical standards for mobile telephones to eliminate the radiation risk

Revelations about the damaging radiation emitted by mobile telephones have given cause for concern about the widespread damage they may be causing, especially to children's health.

As the risk from the radiation depends on the distance between the telephone and the user's head the obvious solution is to design mobile telephones with the headset remote from the telephone itself, as is possible with hands-free kits. Considerations of consumer protection dictate that this solution should not simply be an option, but that a general standard should be laid down in the European Union requiring headsets not to be mounted on the telephone itself but on a flex to ensure that radiation is not emitted close to the user's head. The cost of this design change to all new mobile telephones should not be especially great, and as their life is relatively short, these harmful telephones should be eliminated by natural wastage over a short period.

Will the Commission submit proposals for a new technical standard for mobile telephones to eliminate the risk from radiation?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Based upon existing legislation relating to the safety of mobile telephones(1), the Commission has issued mandate M/305(2) to the European Standardisation Organisations asking for the production of standards on electromagnetic fields (EMF) generated by equipment within the scope of the two aforementioned directives.

In particular, priority has been given to developing such standards in relation to mobile phones. The first sets of standards will be available in April 2001. This first set will deal with methods of measurement for EMF emitted by mobile phones and limits that are fully in line with the limits given in the Council Recommendation. The limits in the Council Recommendation follow a precautionary principle and have a safety factor of more than 50 in relation to acute danger.

According to the principles of the New Approach, Community legislation describes the essential requirements (such as health, safety, etc. ), whilst standardisation bodies develop standards giving technical expression to these requirements which, when applied provide for a presumption of conformity. Manufacturers are therefore encouraged to invent new ways of constructing mobile phones in order to comply with the requirements. One of these solutions might be as described by the Honourable Member.

For the above reasons the Commission has taken the approach of using standards for measurements and limits, leaving the design solutions to the manufacturers.

(1) the Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive 1999/5/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 (OJ L 91, 7.4.1999) and the Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (OJ L 77, 26.3.1973) and upon the limits as detailed in the Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz (OJ L 199, 30.7.1999).

(2) The full text of the mandate M/305 can be found on the following homepage: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/electr_equipment/lv/index.htm (look under EMF).