WRITTEN QUESTION No. 59/98 by Ian WHITE to the Commission. Extremely low frequency radio waves
Date: 1998-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, WHITE
Subjects: USSR, World Health Organisation, accession to the European Union, public health, radio equipment, scientific research, waveband

C 223/96

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

In the abovementioned reply, the Commission referred to its decision of 27 October 1992 (1) concerning the sale
of tickets at the 1990 football world cup. In that case one tour operator was exclusively granted the right to sell
entry tickets as part of a package tour by the organizing committee. All other tickets were sold on the condition
that they would not be resold to travel agencies. This agreement was found by the Commission to infringe Article
85 (1) of the EC Treaty.

Concerning the now questioned practices and their compatibility with the competition rules of the EC Treaty, it
must, however, be pointed out that a necessary pre-requisite for the applicability of the competition rules, is that
trade  between  Member  States  is  affected,  actually  or  potentially,  as  a  result  of  the  agreement  or  practice  in
question.

In the present case, it appears likely that tickets to the Leicester City football club match against Atletico Madrid
were almost exclusively demanded by Leicester City football club supporters or at least by English supporters
only. The demand for tickets to the match was thus of a purely national or even regional or local nature and
eventual effects of the questioned practice was consequently confined to customers on the English market.

Therefore, it is doubtful whether the questioned practice affected trade between Member States to an appreciable
extent.

However, even if it did, it is difficult to regard the conduct in question as constituting an appreciable restriction of
competition under Community competition law.

(1)  OJ L 326, 12.11.1992.

(98/C 223/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0059/98

by Ian White (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 1998)

Subject: Extremely low frequency radio waves

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, it would appear that some extremely low frequency radio transmitters have
continued to operate, some from applicant countries to the European Union. Is the Commission aware of such
continuing transmission, and has any monitoring of frequency and field strength taken place?

Is the Commission aware of any research that has been carried out, is being carried out or is to be carried out, to
determine the adverse health effects caused by cyclotron resonance connected with these transmissions?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 1998)

The Commission is not aware of the matter raised by the Honourable Member.

The  Commission  published  in  1996  a  comprehensive  document  on  sources,  exposure  and  health  effects  of
non-ionizing radiation, covering extremely low frequencies, including the earth(cid:146)s natural magnetic field.

Risk assessment of human exposure to extremely low frequencies has also been the subject of many research
activities, some of which are supported by the Community. In addition, the World health organization (WHO)
coordinates a review of all internationally available studies on this topic. The Commission is an observer in this
effort, and a meeting will be held in May 1998 in Moscow in order to review the science related to exposure to
low and high frequency fields. The proceedings of this meeting will be published in Russian and English.

Information on the WHO project is on the internet (http://www.who.ch:programmes/peh/emf/emf-home.htm). A
copy of the 1996 review document and a list of studies relating to cyclotronic resonance is sent direct to the
Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.