WRITTEN QUESTION E-2900/02 by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. EU limits and reference values for electromagnetic fields.
Date: 2002-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ETSI, European standard, European standardisation body, electromagnetic interference, non-ionising radiation, public health, scientific committee (EU), scientific research

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/121

(2003/C 110 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2900/02

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: EU limits and reference values for electromagnetic fields

(16 October 2002)

Fears amongst the general public regarding health hazards arising from exposure to electromagnetic fields
have again increased of late, partly because of public statements of opinion by recognised scientific experts
or institutions. They have pointed out on numerous occasions that there is strong cause for concern about
the non-thermal effects of pulsed immissions, as there is almost certainly a relationship between them and
long-term effects on health, such as leukaemia and cancer.

Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC (1) of 12 July 1999 quotes reference levels between 2 W/m2 and
10 W/m2 for 10 MHz to 300 GHz; these values are based on the guideline values published by the
ICNIRP, which however are concerned solely with the thermal effects of high-frequency fields. The limits
which scientists and experts are calling for in the light of the above risks range from 0,00001 to
0,01 W/m2.

Other problematic aspects are the large divergences in national limits within the EU (cid:1) emissions are not
confined within national borders! (cid:1) and the rapid increase in the number of mobile phone users and the
relevant transmitters and receivers.

Bearing in mind the Community’s duty to make ‘a contribution to the attainment of a high level of health
protection’, would it not accord with the precautionary principle, which the EU espouses, and would it not
moreover make sense in the light of the priority assigned to a fair single European market, to:

1.

2.

convert the Council recommendation into a binding rule,

at the same time thoroughly review the existing limits and reference levels for electrical, magnetic and
electromagnetic fields, and

3.

in particular, seek to make reductions in them?

(1) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999, p. 59.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2002)

On 12 July 1999 the Council adopted Recommendation 1999/519/EC to Member States limiting the
exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (from 0Hz to 300Ghz). The full adherence to the
basic restrictions and reference levels included in the Recommendation ensures users a high level of
protection against acute and long-term effects of non-ionising radiation for the whole spectrum and not
only high frequencies.

The limits recommended include a safety factor to cover possible long-term effects in the whole frequency
range and therefore are not exclusively limited to thermal acute effects.

The Commission mandated the European standardisation organisations to draft harmonised european
standards ensuring that products don’t expose the public to limits beyond those recommended by the
Council. These standards will be given legal effect within the framework of Directive 1999/5/EC of the
Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal
equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (1), which obliges manufacturers to ensure that
their products do not give rise to adverse effects on health when used for their intended purpose and will
‘de facto’ enforce the Council Recommendation limits. Conflicting national standards will have to be
withdrawn as soon as those standards will have been published in the Official Journal.

The Commission is following closely any new scientific results in the domain to react if necessary to any
new scientific evidence not taken to date into consideration. Under the Fifth Framework Programme for
Research and Technological Development, the Commission is also funding a number (eight) of important

C 110 E/122

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

studies in the field, the results of which will be out in 2003-2005. The opinion of the Commission’s
Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment on health effects associated with
exposure to electromagnetic fields published on 30 October 2001 has confirmed the validity of the
Council Recommendation limits for radio frequencies and microwaves. Please note that this opinion is
shared by reports, which were developed independently by various Member States.

(1) OJ L 91, 7.4.1999.

(2003/C 110 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2902/02

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 October 2002)

Subject: Competition policy

Can the Commission provide a breakdown by Member State of the total authorised income aid in

1.
2001, amounting to EUR 460 million, paid to beef farmers in the EU in the wake of the BSE crisis?

Can the Commission provide details of which Member States have applied for state aid under the

2.
new guidelines for advertising agricultural products introduced on 6 June 2001?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2002)

As

to the breakdown by Member State of

1.
income aid related to the bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) crisis authorised by the Commission in 2001, the breakdown per Member State is
as follows:

(cid:1) Belgium: ca EUR 59 million;

(cid:1) Germany: ca EUR 43 million;

(cid:1) Spain: ca EUR 13 million;

(cid:1) France: ca EUR 259 million;

(cid:1) Italy: ca EUR 79 million;

(cid:1) Austria: ca EUR 4 million.

2.
The following Member States have so far notified state aid to be examined under the new guidelines
for advertising of agricultural products: Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland,
Sweden, United Kingdom.

(2003/C 110 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2903/02

by Benedetto Della Vedova (NI) to the Commission

(16 October 2002)

Subject: Italy’s infringement of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 as a result of Law No 7 of

the Veneto Region of 14 March 2002

By virtue of Regional Law No 7 of 14 March 2002 the Veneto Region has allowed, during the 2002/2003
and 2003/2004 hunting seasons, the hunting of the following species of wild birds protected by Directive
79/409/EEC (1): Passer italiae, Passer montanus, Sturnus vulgaris, Streptopelia decaocto and Phalacrocorax
carbo from 15 September to 31 December, each hunter being allowed to kill 20 birds per day and up to
100 per year; Fringilla coelebs and Fringilla montifringilla from 15 September to 31 December, each
hunter being entitled to kill up to 5 birds per day and up to 40 per year.