8 June: Health Council

Date: 10/06/1999

HEALTH ministers called for EU-wide restrictions on the electromagnetic radiation emitted by power lines, mobile telephones, electric railway systems, cellular radios and household electric appliances to protect citizens from immediate health risks. Overruling Italy, which had pressed for even stricter ceilings, the ministers reached political agreement on limits in line with the findings of an international panel of scientific experts. However, it will be up to individual member states to decide what specific measures to implement. The ministers noted that concerns had been raised about the possible health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields, although they said there was no “convincing evidence” that exposure caused cancer.

FOLLOWING a discussion on future EU action in the field of public health, ministers agreed on three important elements. First, they suggested developing a comprehensive system for collecting, analysing and distributing information on public health. Second, they stressed the importance of reacting quickly to health threats by means of a Community surveillance system, including early warnings and rapid reactions. Finally, they agreed on the need to prevent diseases both through broad health promotion activities and specific actions targeting specific areas. Ministers invited the European Commission to draw up a new legislative proposal promoting public health “as a matter of urgency”.

MINISTERS underlined their commitment to devising an overall strategy to guard against the development of resistance to antibiotics and said such a strategy should be based on risk assessment based on sound scientific findings. They called on member states to cooperate to monitor the supply and use of antibiotics, boost research and promote health-oriented animal production systems to reduce the need for antibiotics in feed. They also called for more surveillance and control of communicable diseases resulting from antibiotic resistance.

ACTING Health Commissioner Pádraig Flynn informed ministers about ongoing research into communicable diseases in the Union. He said it was particularly important to address health problems among refugees from Kosovo and to be able to stem the spread of diseases in the refugee camps. Flynn also discussed a separate report examining the state of public health in the EU. The Commission has conducted regular studies into public health since 1995 and has expanded the scope of a forthcoming report on the health of migrants to take into account Kosovo refugees entering EU member states.