WRITTEN QUESTION E-0732/01 by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission. Technical standards for mobile telephones to eliminate the radiation risk.
Date: 2001-03-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: consumer protection, electromagnetic interference, radio telecommunications, technical standard

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/77

Reply

(13 July 2001)

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that the European Community has neither signed nor
ratified the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Nor has the European Community concluded bilateral agreements with third States containing provisions
relating to child abduction.

The matter is therefore one for examination at the level of the arrangements in force between the Member
States and third States.

(2001/C 340 E/091)

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(cid:146)s health.

As the risk from the radiation depends on the distance between the telephone and the user(cid:146)s head the
obvious solution is to design mobile telephones with the headset remote from the telephone itself, as is
possible with (cid:145)hands-free(cid:146) 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(cid:146)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. (cid:133)), 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.

C 340 E/78

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

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).

(2001/C 340 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0733/01

by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: Benchmarking in employment and education

The 2000 Lisbon European Council asked the Council and the Commission to address:
(cid:145)improving
employability and reducing skills gaps; (cid:133) giving higher priority to lifelong learning as a basic component
of the European social model; (cid:133) increasing employment in services, including personal services, where
there are major shortages; (cid:133) [and] furthering all aspects of equal opportunities.(cid:146) What steps have been
taken to address each of these four elements, and, where appropriate, what benchmarks have been
established?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 June 2001)

The Commission reviewed overall progress since the Lisbon European Council in its synthesis report to the
Stockholm European Council of 23/24 March 2001 (1). The four priorities the Honourable Member refers
to are being addressed within the European Employment Strategy, and the eEurope Action Plan and its
eLearning component.

The Employment Guidelines for 2001 (2) have incorporated these objectives in a detailed way, setting also
specific European or national targets as appropriate. Member States reflect the Employment Guidelines in
their employment policies and their success in doing so will be set out in the Joint Employment Report for
2001 based on analysis of National Action Plans to be submitted by Member States in May 2001.

The European Social Fund (ESF) is the Community(cid:146)s main financial tool for supporting the European
Employment Strategy and hence, also, these four objectives.

Furthermore, the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention is drawn to other initiatives which are complementing
the Guidelines in the Lisbon follow-up:

(cid:129) The above-mentioned Commission Communication to the Stockholm European Council sets as one of
its ten priorities the development by 2005 of new European labour markets open to all and accessible
for all. This is backed up by a more extensive Communication (3) which identifies where progress is
needed and which calls for the establishment of a High Level Task Force on skills and mobility. The
report of the Task Force will form the basis of the Action Plan on the new European labour markets
which the Commission will be submitting in time for the Spring European Council in 2002.

(cid:129) A report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems was adopted by the
Council on 12 February 2001 (4) and submitted to the Stockholm European Council. The Council was
requested, together with the Commission, to present a report to the Spring European Council in 2002
containing a detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training
systems. Indicators and benchmarks will be key elements of the follow-up process.