Radiation Protection

The protection framework of the general public against the risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields is based on the Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of public exposure to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz).

Briefly, the Recommendation:

• aims at complementing national policies of the Member States to improve health and to create a framework to limit public exposure to EMF based on the best available scientific data;
• proposes a set of basic restrictions and reference levels;
• provides guidance to Member States;
• creates the basis for further legislation on product safety;
• urges the Commission to regularly review the possible health effects from exposure to electromagnetic fields.

The Recommendation also serves as a reference for the adoption of EU regulations in other areas as well:

• Directive 2004/40/EC, as replaced by Directive 2013/35/EU, establishing minimum health and safety requirements concerning the exposure of workers to the risks arising from electromagnetic fields;
• Directive 2006/95/EC, as replaced by Directive 2014/35/EU, concerning low-voltage electrical equipment and ensuring that the general public, including workers, are not exposed to levels of electromagnetic higher than those defined in the Recommendation of 1999;
• Directive 1999/5/EC, as replaced by Directive 2014/53/EU, which covers the radio and telecommunication terminal equipment.

So far, two implementation reviews of the provisions of the Recommendation to Member States have been made by the EU (in 2002 and in 2008).

Also , read here the Report of the information exchange meeting with Member States on the implementation of Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC (electromagnetic fields) held in May 2010.

In Cyprus, the Council of Ministers, in its Decision no. 63.006 dated 14.12.2005, decided the allocation to the Ministry of Health of the responsibility to introduce national limits for public exposure to electromagnetic fields. The Ministry of Health published in the Official Gazette of 22.6.2015 (no. 4579, section B, publication no. 2962 of 22.6.2012) the national limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields for the public, adopting in principle the reference levels as provided in the Recommendation 1999/519/EC.