Activites

• 1999/07/30 Final act published in Official Journal
• #2196
• 1999/07/12 Council Meeting
• 1999/07/12 End of procedure in Parliament
• 1999/07/12 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• #2188
• 1999/06/08 Council Meeting
• 1999/05/27 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0247 summary

    In its amended proposal, the European Commission accepted 9 of the 17 amendments adopted by the European Parliament in its first reading. The main ones relate to: - the introduction of normative measures aimed at limiting the exposure of workers to electromagnetic fields; - the establishment of a Community framework regarding exposure to electromagnetic fields with the objective of protecting the public via recommendations to the Member States (this Community framework should be based on existing scientific documentation and and be regularly re-evaluated); - the review of scientific knowledge in this field at regular intervals should also take account of research done in the widest possible range of research sources. The Commission provides for an exception regarding exposure for medical purposes where the risks and benefits of exposure, above the basic restrictions, must be properly weighed. The Commission, however, did not take up the Parliament's amendments in regard to: - the potentially dangerous effects of fields; - the respect for the precautionary principle so as to cover all eventual risks for public health; - the principle of a uniform method to measure conformity of products in the area of electromagnetic rays, - the maximum protection of the public where they live or where they pass most of their time, - the setting of minimum safety distances between certain electricity infrastructures and the public. Nor did the Commission agree with the amendments that sought to provide by 01.01.2000 for a new system of review of machinery generating electromagnetic fields, as well as for a comparative list of the limites applies in the Member States. it also rejected any possibility of harmonisation in the area via, for example, the drawing up of Community safety criteria for electrical equipment likely to produce electromagnetic fields. Lastly, the amendment seeking to review the proposal before 2001 was also rejected.�

• 1999/03/10 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0168/1999 summary

    At first reading under consultation procedure, the European Parliament approved the proposal for a Council regulation on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields 0 Hz - 300 GHz subject to amendments, notably in the following areas: - making reference to Treaty provisions for protecting the health of workers and the rights of consumers, with particular reference to the safeguard principle and the ALARA principle; - requiring that, in accordance with the precautionary principle, the proposed Community framework with regard to exposure to electromagnetic fields must eliminate any possible public health hazard; - deleting reference to the guidance in this area provided by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and instead recommending that any advice in this area should be regularly reviewed and reassessed in the light of increased usage of devices which may increase exposure to electromagnetic fields; - noting that there is no uniform measurement at European level for product compliance and that there is a need to prevent new technical barriers to trade; - making more detailed provision with regard to minimum safety distances; - recommending that, in promoting and reviewing research relevant to EMF and human health, Member States should take account of research recommendations and efforts from the widest possible range of sources; - recommending that every effort be made to incorporate the implications for human health of the very extensive research carried out by many military experts throughout the world in this field; - inviting the Commission to propose, by 01/01/2001, a system of continuous review of devices generating electromagnetic fields with a view to protecting public safety; - inviting the Commission to produce a comprehensive comparative list of the limits applied in EU Member States and other major countries; - inviting the Commission to submit a proposal for the revision of directives 90/270/EEC on the minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment and 73/23/EEC and 92/75/EEC with a view to laying down safety criteria for electrical equipment capable of producing electromagnetic fields and to labelling such products for the benefit of consumers; - inviting the Commission to adapt the proposed recommendation by 2001 to take account of long-term effects in the light of the whole body of scientific literature, existing standards in the Member States and the precautionary principle; - underlining that the basic restrictions set out in the proposed recommendation include large safety factors only with respect to the thresholds for acute effects.�

• 1999/03/09 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1999/02/18 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0101/1999
• #2131
• 1998/11/12 Council Meeting
  • 2131
• 1998/07/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1998/06/11 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0268 summary

    OBJECTIVE: to provide a common framework concerning a high level of protection against exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz-300 GHz). CONTENTS: Given the ever-growing involvement of the Community in various industrial sectors likely to increase exposure of the population to electromagnetic fields and the concern over their effects of decision-makers, health professionals, interest groups and members of the public, the Commission has decided to establish common principles in this field at Community level. This common framework will be implemented under the Council recommendations in Article 129 of the Treaty and covers the general principles of limitation to exposure in order to prevent damaging effects to the health. The common framework proposed is based on a set of basic restrictions and reference levels developed internationally by the foremost experts in this field. It concerns exposure of individual members of the public and not emissions from specific devices or equipment and does not apply to occupational exposure and exposure of patients and volunteers during medical procedures. Council's recommendations do not address problems of electromagnetic compatibility and interference with medical devices. The restrictions are directly based on established health effects only. The reference levels are recommended to be used for practical exposure assessment purposes. Respect of reference levels will ensure respect of the relevant basic restriction. It is recommended that when an exceedance of reference levels occurred, an assessment of the exposure situation should be carried out. It will be up to the Member States to arrange for assessments and follow-up actions. The assessment will take account of criteria such as: - the duration of exposure, - the exposed parts of the body, - the number of exposed members of the public, - the age and health status of these members of the public. Follow-up actions will need to be decided by the Member States with respect to the specific exposure situation which might call for measures such as the provision of information for the public exposed, the establishment of minimum distances to be kept from the source of exposure or changes in the use, design or installation of the source in question. The Member States will also have to decide to consider cost-benefit aspects when such an action is undertaken. Finally, in order to take timely stock of the regulatory and actual exposure situation and any scientific or technological developments that may require a prompt response, the Commission proposes that the Member States prepare reports on their measures and guidelines in the field covered by the recommendation, and indicating how the latter has been taken into account. The Commission will then present an overall report based on the reports of the Member States.�

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0268
• Debate in Council: 2131
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0101/1999
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0168/1999
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0247

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)