Recommendation 1999/519 - 1999/519/EC: Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz) - Main contents

official title

 

Legal instrument	Recommendation
Number legal act	Recommendation 1999/519
Original proposal	COM(1998)268
CELEX number i	31999H0519

Important legal notice

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1999/519/EC: Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

Official Journal L 199 , 30/07/1999 P. 0059 - 0070

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

of 12 July 1999

on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

(1999/519/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 152(4), second subparagraph,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(1),

Whereas:

• (1) 

  In accordance with point (p) of Article 3 of the Treaty, Community action must include a contribution to the attainment of a high level of health protection; the Treaty also makes provision for protecting the health of workers and of consumers;

• (2) 

  In its resolution of 5 May 1994 on combating the harmful effects of non-ionising radiation(2), the European Parliament called on the Commission to propose legislative measures seeking to limit the exposure of workers and the public to non-ionising electromagnetic radiation;

• (3) 

  Community minimum requirements for the protection of health and safety of workers in relation to electromagnetic fields exist for work with display screen equipment(3); Community measures were introduced to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding(4) which oblige, inter alia, employers to assess activities which involve a specific risk of exposure to non-ionising radiation; minimum requirements have been proposed for the protection of workers from physical agents(5) which include measures against non-ionising radiation; whereas, therefore, this recommendation does not address the protection of workers against occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields;

• (4) 

  It is imperative to protect members of the general public within the Community against established adverse health effects that may result as a consequence of exposure to electromagnetic fields;

• (5) 

  Measures with regard to electromagnetic fields should afford all Community citizens a high level of protection; provisions by Member States in this area should be based on a commonly agreed framework, so as to contribute to ensuring consistency of protection throughout the Community;

• (6) 

  In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, any new measure taken in an area which does not fall within the exclusive competence of the Community, such as non-ionising radiation protection of the public, may be taken up by the Community only if, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, the objectives proposed can be better achieved by the Community than by Member States;

• (7) 

  Actions on limiting the exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields should be balanced with the other health, safety and security benefits that devices emitting electromagnetic fields bring to the quality of life, in such areas as telecommunications, energy and public security;

• (8) 

  There is a need to establish by means of recommendations addressed to Member States a Community framework with regard to exposure to electromagnetic fields with the objective of protecting the public;

• (9) 

  This recommendation has as its objective the protection of the health of the public and it therefore applies, in particular, to relevant areas where members of the public spend significant time in relation to the effects covered by this recommendation;

• (10) 

  The Community framework, which draws on the large body of scientific documentation that already exists, must be based on the best available scientific data and advice in this area and should comprise basic restrictions...

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