Brussels, 18/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - A group of MEPs, led by the deputy leader of the Socialist group, Dutchman Jan Marinus Wiersma and French Socialist Benoît Hamon, have signed a motion against the “Mosquito” buzz boxes, which are used as a means of combating anti-social behaviour among young people. The MEPs say that installing these devices in public places to prevent young people from gathering is unacceptable for two reasons. Firstly, the high pitched sounds they emit, which are only heard by under-25s, cause discomfort which could, in the longer term, have harmful effects on hearing. Secondly, it is a discriminatory device which violates young people's fundamental rights. The boxes “are sold and used in EU countries despite the fact that no independent scientific study has been carried out on the effects they might have on health. The potential effect on babies is particularly worrying,” Wiersma said. With debate continuing in several member states (the Mosquito is already in use in the United Kingdom, where the boxes are manufactured, the Netherlands, Belgium and France), the motion calls on the European Union to ban their sale and use. If signed by half the membership of the Parliament, the EP's official position will be to ban these boxes. Two weeks ago, Belgian Youth Minister and former MEP Marc Tarabella asked the European Commission about these boxes as he wanted them to go into the RAPEX system which gives rapid information to member states about products that any one of their number deems dangerous. The Commission indicated that it would not intervene. “It appears that such a measure does not fall within the European Union's area of responsibility,” said Helen Kearns, spokeswoman for European Consumer Protection Commissioner Maglena Kuneva. The Commission believes it is for each member state to decide how to react. (I.L.)