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"1. Background
Council Recommendation of 12 July 19991 on the limitation of exposure of the general public
to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz) fixes basic restrictions and reference levels for
the exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). These restrictions and
reference levels are based on the guidelines published by the International Commission on
Non Ionising Radiation Protection in 1998 (ICNIRP)
In response to the Council Recommendation, all Member States have implemented
measures to limit the exposure of thepublic to EMF, either by implementing the
provisions proposed by the Council Recommendation, or by implementing more stringent provisions.
For workers; the Council and the Parliament have adopted Directive 2004/40/EC of 29 April
2004, on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to
the risks arising from physical agents (EMFs).
However, issues related to its implementation led to the suspension of its implementation.
A new directive proposal was adopted by the Commission and is being discussed with
the Council and the European Parliament.
The Council Recommendation also invites the Commission to "keep the matters covered by
this recommendation under review, with a view to its revision and updating, taking into
account possible effects, which are currently the object of research, including relevant
aspects of precaution". The ICNIRP guidelines were endorsed by the Scientific Steering
Committee (SSC) in its opinion on health effects of EMFs of 25-26 June 1998. The
Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) prepared an
update of the Scientific Steering Committee's opinion and concluded in its opinion on
"Possible effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), Radio Frequency Fields (RF) and
Microwave Radiation on human health", of 30 October 2001, that the information that had
become available since the SSC opinion of June 1999 did not justify revision of the exposure
limits recommended by the Council
The opinions delivered by the SCENIHR in March 20078, January 20099 and July 200910
confirmed the earlier conclusion of the CSTEE and highlighted again the need for additional
data and research on this issue and recommended that specific research areas be addressed.
The Commission relies on the SCENIHR to review periodically new information that may
influence the assessment of risks to human health in this area and to provide regular updates
on the scientific evidence base to the Commission.
Since September 2008, the cut-off date for the previous review by the SCENIHR, a sufficient
number of new scientific publications have appeared to warrant a new analysis of the
scientific evidence on possible effects on human health of exposure to EMF. In addition, the
development of new technologies using EMF in the THz range, especially imaging techniques
such as security scanners for passenger screening, calls for new assessments.
On 16-17 November 2011, the International Conference on EMF and Health, organized by the
European Commission under the auspices of the SCENIHR, provided an overview of the
most recent scientific developments in this area as a first preparation for a future scientific
opinion.
Consequently, the SCENIHR is being asked to examine this new scientific evidence and to
address in particular the questions listed in the Terms of Reference.
2. Terms of reference
The Committee is requested:
1. To update its opinions of 20098,9 in the light of newly available information.
2. To give particular attention to issues affected by important gaps in knowledge in the
previous opinions, especially:
o
the potential adverse effects of EMF on the nervous system, including
neurobehavioural disorders and on the risk of neoplastic diseases,
o the understanding of biophysical mechanisms that could explain observed biological
effects and epidemiological associations, and
o the potential role of co-exposures with other environmental stressors in biological
effects attributed to EMF.
3. To review the scientific evidence available to understand the potential adverse health
effects of EMF in the THz range.
4. To develop a set of prioritized research recommendations taking updating previous efforts
in this area (in particular by the SCENIHR and the WHO). These recommendations
should include methodological guidance on the experimental design and minimum
requirements to ensure data quality and usability for risk assessment.
