The European Commission does not intend to launch a new study on the impact of the launch of 5G on human health. This was the answer given on Monday 20 May by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel to parliamentary questions tabled by Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France) and Mireille D'Ornano (EFDD, France).
The two MEPs are concerned about the exposure of citizens to microwave radiation and radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation resulting from 5G. "A Belgian authority has drawn attention to new, higher volumes of data transmission. The German Federal Office of Radiation Protection (BfS) has indicated that significantly higher data transmission volumes, new and additional transmitters and higher frequencies could change radiation intensities", explains Michèle Rivasi in the motivation of her written question.
In its reply, the European Commission explains that the Commission's Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) has already issued five relevant opinions, which indicate that there is no scientific justification for revising the limits set by Council of the EU Recommendation 1999/519/EC. "5G networks should have similar or lower emission levels than 4G networks. Cumulatively, it is possible that 5G, combined with 4G, could lead to a modest increase in emissions in dense areas, but at a level that remains well below the limits", says the Commissioner, who points out that these limits are based on recommendations from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)