Brussels, 23/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The precautionary principle should apply at EU level with regard to exposure to electromagnetic fields, according to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which narrowly adopted an opinion on electromagnetic hypersensitivity at its plenary session on Thursday 22 January.
The EESC opinion went through on the very narrow majority of 136 votes to 110, with ten abstentions. The issue is all the more politically sensitive as it is the subject of lively debate in the medical world. While the World Health Organisation (WTO) has recognised the symptoms described by people claiming to suffer from or who have been affected by distress attributed to electromagnetic fields, no causal link with exposure to electromagnetic fields and waves has been established.
The EESC could only note this fact while urging “continuance of the precautionary principle through regulation and advisory work, particularly as further research is still needed to accumulate evidence concerning any potential health impact from long-term exposure”, a press release summarises. The EESC is now awaiting the analysis by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) which will shortly be completed and will draw on a broad public consultation. (JK)