Health & Environment

GSM Europe Working Groups - Health & Environment

The purpose of the Health & Environment Working Group is to ensure the responsible management of health & safety and general environmental issues relating to mobile telecommunications technologies. The Group deals specific areas such as monitoring and advising GSME members of developments in the issues concerned with health, safety and environmental impacts of mobile communications. In particular, reporting of independent scientific research, industry best practice and health/regulatory/political developments in Europe.

The Health & Environment Working Group is also responsible for developing position statements, best practice and communication to key European stakeholder/interest groups (consumers, media and Government). A comprehensive booklet on mobile telecommunications health concerns and how it is being managed by GSME members, including the GSME Recommendation on Network Rollout Best practice, has been produced. The Working Group liaises, supports and acts in close co-operation with the Health Policy Subgroup of the GSMA Public Policy Committee's Regulatory Advisory Group and the GSMA EMF Expert Panel. In addition, it also liaises with the wider European mobile telecommunications industry, for example the Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF) and national trade associations via members, in the responsible management of the health & safety and environmental issues. The Health & Environment Working Group has taken the lead in organising two major health seminars, with a third planned for 2006, jointly with the European Commission, the GSMA and the MMF. The Group is also invited to participate in and speak at international health conferences.

Alan Freeman, Chairman GSM E Health & Environment WorkGroup - Biography
Health & Environment Policy Manager - Group Technology, Telefónica O2 Europe

Lars Kindervater, Deputy Chair GSM E Health & Environment WorkGroup - Biography
Senior Manager Public Affairs, Deutsche Telekom AG, Group Headquarters

Media Advisory

On 2 April 2009, the European Parliament voted for science-based exposure limits for electromagnetic fields from wireless technologies. This Resolution will contribute to public confidence in the safety of mobile communications. It is clear support for the European Commission’s policy on radio signals and is consistent with the position of the World Health Organization that current safety recommendations protect everyone.

The GSMA welcomes the recommendation of the European Parliament that public safety standards should continue to be regularly reviewed in the light of new scientific findings. Importantly, the Resolution confirmed that planning policies for mobile network antennas should be “determined by scientific criteria”. This is consistent with the views of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, 17 February 2009, which voted, by a majority of 43 to one, to reject proposals for arbitrary exclusion zones.

Position Papers

2006
03rd Nov	Consultation Response Form SCENIHR opinion on "Possible effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) on Human Health"(710kb PDF)
2004
23rd Sept	Mobile Communications Matters (902kb PDF)
17th May	Base Station Planning Permission in Europe (555kb PDF)
19th Jan	GSME comments on Draft Baseline Report on Research Needs (185kb PDF)
2003
21st May	Press Release: GSM Europe Event Drives Future Success of European Mobile Industry
28th Jan	Press Release: GSME endorse 1st implementation report on network rollout good practice
28th Jan	Implementation report on GSME Recommendation of Good Practice (119kb PDF)