EU Commission: Electromagnetic fields Directive deadline postponed

In October 2007, the European Commission proposed that the 2008 deadline for the member states to implement the 2004 EU Directive on protecting workers from exposure to electromagnetic fields be put back to 2012. This postponement should allow the Directive to be amended to prevent it from hindering the medical use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.

Directive 2004/40/EC on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields) was adopted in April 2004 and is due to come into force in April 2008.

In 2006, the European Commission was contacted by experts and practitioners who feared that implementation of the Directive would have adverse effects on the effective use of MRI, the leading technique for detecting brain tumours and many other serious conditions. The commission launched a study (due to be completed in January 2008) to examine the implications of the Directive's electromagnetic exposure limits for MRI and to identify potential problems. It also held a number of meetings with MRI practitioners and industry representatives. In June 2007, the UK authorities published a study indicating that the practice of MRI could indeed be affected by the Directive. This led the commission to decide that the Directive would have to be amended.

On 26 October 2007, the commission issued a formal proposal to postpone the Directive’s implementation deadline until April 2012, while it draws up and proposes an amendment that will protect MRI. This amendment will aim to ensure that the Directive's exposure limits will not have an adverse effect on the practice of MRI, while ensuring appropriate protection for the workers involved. Further, the commission will review the situation for all sectors where personnel are exposed to electromagnetic fields while carrying out their work.

The proposed postponement should also allow sufficient time to take into account forthcoming new recommendations from relevant international bodies, such as the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which are expected to lower their limit values for occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields.

Vladimir Spidla, the EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, stated: "The commission remains committed to the protection of the health and safety of workers. However, it was never the intention of this Directive to impede the practice of MRI. Obviously, the commission recognises MRI as a technology offering clear benefits to patients… Postponement of the transposition will allow time to review the current Directive and amend those provisions which have been shown to be problematic by recent scientific studies. While this review is ongoing, the commission recommends that member states put the transposition of the current Directive on hold."

European Employment Review 407 (EER 407) contents