Pierre Le Hir, Le Monde, Jan 29, 2015 (Google Translation)
After two years of development, the law governing public exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technology (relay antennas, mobile phones, tablets ") was adopted by the deputies, Thursday, January 29, 2015, in favor of a parliamentary recess of the environmental group. It was passed by all of the majority, while the UDI abstained -- except Bertrand Pancher (Meuse) who spoke to -- and that the UMP voted against, seeing an obstacle to the development of the digital industries.
This law -- the first in France to establish a precautionary approach to addressing potential health risks of radio frequency -- went through a serious obstacle course, during which its initial ambitions were seriously revised downwards. The bill was first filed in January 2013 by the member of the Val-de-Marne Laurence Bee (Europe Ecologie-Greens) and had been referred to committee by the Socialists, before returning to the National Assembly in January 2014, under a watered-down form, and then to be adopted in first reading by the Senate in June 2014.
Despite these successive setbacks, the environmental group decided to vote the text as to prevent its return to the Senate where new delays and cuts could have been added. Its adoption is final and immediate and welcomes M me Bee, "the decrees will be able to be taken without waiting " .
At the end of the month, environmentalists propose a law to the National Assembly to moderate wave exposure. 4G was deployed at full speed in France by the mobile operators.Their health danger is not scientifically proven, but the organizations denounce the lack of study on their possible hazards.
NOT LOWERING THE LIMITS
Finally, the "Law on sobriety, transparency, information and consultation for exposure to electromagnetic waves" appears as a compromise between the supporters of a stricter supervision of the sector and wireless phone operators, opposed them, any regulatory brake. "This text does not fully address all the issues, recognizes the Green MP . However, it is an essential first step.
The major novelty is the introduction into French law of a principle of "sobriety" of public exposure to electromagnetic fields. So virtuous as it is, this principle, however, remains vague and non-binding. It is thus no question of lowering the exposure limits in force, including, according to frequencies between 41 and 61 volts per meter (V / m), while the draft original legislation was aimed at the back "as low as reasonably possible" or 0.6 V / m.
OUTLIER LEVELS TO BE IDENTIFIED AND REDUCED
The National Frequency Agency (AFNR) will nevertheless make every year a national census of "outliers" , that is to say, "places where the level of public exposure substantially exceed those generally observed in nationally " . Operators will have to remedy within six months, "subject to technical feasibility" .
The average exposure in France is now about 1 V / m, but a study of the Operations Committee on waves mobile (Copic), covering sixteen common representative of the French territory and published in 2013, was reported some exposure peaks "up to 10 V / m at maximum transmitter power" , even if the levels remained below 0.7 V / m in 90% of cases. The AFNR considered until now as atypical places where exposure exceeds 6 V / m.
In terms of transparency, the installation of antennas will now be subject to prior information of mayors and presidents of intercommunal structures. And these may in turn -- but are not required -- to organize a consultation with residents. In addition, a campaign of "awareness and information on the responsible and rational use of mobile devices" will be conducted.
WI-FI PROHIBITED IN NURSERIES AND DAY CARE CENTERS
A section of the Act is devoted to the protection of the young. Wireless devices will be banned in "the spaces dedicated to home, to rest and activities of children under 3 years" , that is to say, nurseries and day care centers. However, contrary to the initial desire of environmentalists, the Wi-Fi will remain permitted in primary schools. It should be limited to certain areas and disabled outside the 'digital educational activities."
Finally, the dramatic situation of people with EHS receives serious attention. The government will submit a report on this problem to Parliament on this issue within a year.
Associations "anti-waves" prefer to consider , too, the glass is half full rather than half empty. "This text, which is the first dedicated to the issue of electromagnetic waves and their impact on the environment and health, marks a first step in the recognition by the law of the need to regulate the development of the mobile and all wireless applications, " says the association for the regulation of mobile phone relay antennas (Priartem) . In his view, "the first legislative effort to be an encouragement to go further in protecting people " .
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