(20/07/11) En janvier 2011, un consortium de 22 associations issues de 10 pays européens à fait parvenir aux parlementaires européens un cahier de recommandations dans le but de réduire l'exposition aux rayonnement électromagnétique issue d'appareils DECT (téléphones et baby phones) et Wi-Fi. Ci-dessous, la lettre, les signataires et les recommandations (en anglais).

Dear Member of the European Parliament,

In recent years there has been a lot of debate on the possible adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields. This debate has mainly focused on cell phones and cell phone antennas.

However, a very large part of the radiofrequency (microwave) electromagnetic radiation European citizens are exposed to, originates from indoor  wireless technologies, namely wireless internet (WiFi) and cordless telephones (DECT-technology). These technologies are capable of exposing people to very significant radiation levels.

More and more scientific evidence points to adverse health effects like promotion of cancer and neurological damage. In addition, a growing group of people is reporting health problems.

In the light of this evidence, we, a consortium of European citizen groups, would like to call on the European Parliament and other EU institutions to create product norms for these wireless technologies in order to reduce exposures. Technical solutions already exist to massively reduce exposures in time and in intensity.

Indeed, at least one mobile phone operator has started to recognize the health risks and has started to look for technical solutions to lower exposures. In the international Swisscom-patent WO 2004/075583

A1 (see http://tinyurl.com/35wbjlz), Swisscom (Switzerland's mobile phone operator) acknowledges the non-thermal effects of electromagnetic radiation and has therefore developed a system where the base station of a wireless local network stops emitting radiofrequency signals when not in use.

However, new legislation and product norms are needed to further encourage the development of safer alternatives and make them obligatory.

It is important to add that reducing EMF exposures, which involves reducing the power with which wireless devices emit, will at the same time lead to significant energy savings. In this way new product norms can help to reach health as well as environmental/climate change goals and energy efficiency, as required by the Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (5 April 2006).

In the attached 4-page document you can find our suggestions for reducing the exposures (and thus energy consumption) of wireless routers for internet and cordless DECT-phones.

With reference to the Precautionary Principle in case of scientific uncertainty, we hope you will take the time to consider our suggestions and take the necessary steps to make wireless technologies safer and lower in radiation. After all, we are dealing with a very important public health issue.

Best regards,

Signataires

Recommandations