New rules to improve the safety of workers most exposed to electromagnetic fields with protective measures and new maximum exposure limits have been approved by a large majority in the European Parliament’s social affairs and employment committee.

The draft law applies to all sectors but chiefly concerns workers exposed to high risks, for example in heavy industries such as steel or metal processing, or people working long hours close to television and radio broadcasting stations, radar installations and mobile phone pylons.

The new directive proposed by the Commission addresses the short-term impact on health but not the long-term effects.

However, the employment and social affairs committee has called on the Commission and the member states to speed up research and the compilation of data on the long-term impact of exposure to electromagnetic fields and to table new legislation tackling the long-term health effects as soon as conclusive scientific proof is available.