The European Commission has no reason to believe that mobile phone base station antennae in residential areas have adverse effects on residents' health, Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said in reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil.
Mr Busuttil asked the Commission whether it considered mobile phone antennae to be safe and acceptable in residential areas, especially in view of the increasing concern worldwide regarding their safety implications.
Ms Vassiliou said the Commission was taking public concerns on electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure "very seriously" by monitoring the legislation in member states in relation to the limitations on such exposure, and has also funded research to further fill gaps in knowledge on the subject.
She said available scientific studies have shown that these antennae do not have adverse effects on health.
A spokesman for the Malta Communications Authority told The Times that at the end of last year there were 875 base stations around the island.
Base stations on rooftops close to homes, schools, churches and hospitals have sparked a number of enquiries from people concerned about the potential health hazards. Residents argued that various studies carried out worldwide clearly indicated that the emissions released in EMFs may have serious detrimental effects on humans, particularly children, and may lead to various complications, including the development of brain tumours.
All the surveys carried out on mobile phone base stations in Malta and Gozo in the past have shown that emission levels of electromagnetic frequencies were far lower than internationally accepted limits. Studies carried out over the years by the MCA have shown EMF levels to be well below the maximum levels for public exposure stipulated by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection.
Ms Vassiliou said EU member states have the responsibility to ensure measures to protect the population against potential health risks. In order to provide guidance to the member states and to create a basis for the relevant provisions of the EU product safety legislation, Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC had established a European Union set of basic restrictions and reference levels.
The recommendations of the international organisations, like the World Health Organisation (WHO), are also continuously monitored by the Commission and taken into consideration, she said.
The WHO states that "considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF (radio frequency) signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects."
It also states that recent surveys have shown that the RF exposures from base stations range from 0.002 to two per cent of the levels of international exposure guidelines, depending on a variety of factors such as the proximity to the antenna and the surrounding environment.
The MCA spokesman said it has a yearly programme for EMF auditing. All sites that have been audited to date have been found to be compliant with the guidelines issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). These guidelines, adopted by the Maltese government, provide the limits for public exposure to EMF and are endorsed by the WHO.
The spokesman said that towards the end of this year, the MCA will be publishing a report with the full detailed results for this year's audit.