In These New Times

Next-Up

2nd December, 2009

Next-up organization 02 12  2009: During the government round-table

discussions which finished in May 2009 a committee (COMOP) was

set up to oversee the experimental reduction in EM radiation from

phone masts by Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Ecology, in

the presence of Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Secretary of State for

the Digital Economy.

Making mobile phone systems compatible with human health:

In the debate about relay antennas and in general about

electrosmog (radiation from artificial EMFs) a worldwide consensus

is beginning to emerge, thanks in particular to the work of the

independent scientists who have contributed to the publication of

the BioInitiative report, which recommends as a preliminary

measure a drastic reduction in the level of artificial HF microwave

radiation to 0.6 V/m, ie. 0.1 μW/cm2.

Organizations and campaign groups all over the world are

demanding that this maximum limit be applied because it would not

harm the greater part of the public who are in reasonably good

health. However the long-term objective is to remove this new form

of environmental pollution by introducing an upper limit of 0.1 V/m

or 0.003 μW/cm2 from all sources of emission combined.

It is a fact that at present the legal limit in France for UMTS/3G is 61

V/m, or 1,000 μW/cm2, (WHO and ICNIRP recommendations) as specified

in the Décret 2002-775 signed by Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister (2002).

This is on the basis of the official period of 6 minutes [Uk], per phone

call. There is no limit specified for any longer period [the dossier that

“upsets people”], which has not prevented the government from

allowing the public, quite illegally, to be subjected to this type of

exposure continually day and night. Thus the government’s own health

authorities are not ensuring respect for the law, which is just too much!

What’s more, those in responsible positions who have recommended

this radiation level of 61V/m at 2169 MHz would do well to think twice,

because if applied strictly it would be lethal, meaning that radiation of

that intensity could not be tolerated by a human being because they

would be dead.

v

Lionel Jospin (photo), former Prime Minister, signed

this decree in the most shameful conditions [Fr]

He was advised by Jean-Noël Tronc, who later that

year was taken on by France Telecom, where he was

director of strategy, then president of the board for

Orange in Réunion, then Director General in France of

Orange France, mobile phone subsidiary of

France Telecom.

Next-up Organisation has been publicising  the recommendations contained in the BioInitiative report in France

and throughout the world, in fact this is one of our main activities.

At the recent round table meeting with the government, the campaign group Robin des toits (‘Robin Hood of the

Roofs’) suggested that the lower radiation limit of 0.6 V/m should be tried out in several towns.

238 cities, towns and rural councils [PDF chronological list] volunteered to take part in the experiment of reduced

radiation from mobile phones. This number indicates a growing awareness among local councils of the health

problems caused by the proliferation of relay antennas in towns.

The Mayors of France sent a strong message to the government to signal not only their confusion in face of the

present law but also the growing anxieties of the public about this new kind of pollution at close range.

The Ministry of Ecology has published the list of towns chosen by the Committee responsible for the project

(COMOP) to participate in the experiment in reducing exposure to the EMFs around relay antennas, and in new

means of consultation.

Many applicants will be disappointed as only 16 of them have been chosen for the trial reduction in exposure and 11

for the trial consultation methods.

The official list of places selected:

Communiqué from François Brottes, president of COMOP.

Relay antenna experiment: COMOP chooses its towns

v

The round table meeting on radio frequencies that took place in spring

2009 suggested setting up experiments in reducing exposure to EMFs

around relay antennas, and in new means of consultation. The

government agreed and decided to allocate a budget of 1 million euros.

A working committee including representatives of all the parties

involved was set up on 7 July 2009 by Madame Chantal Jouanno,

Secretary of State for Ecology, with M. François Brottes, deputy from

the Isère, as president.

After a country-wide invitation for volunteers, to which 238 urban and rural councils replied, the working

committee in its meeting of 26/11/2009 chose the following:

A. For the experiment in reducing exposure:

– Pays d’Azay-le-Rideau – Parc naturel régional Loire Anjou Touraine (Maine-et-Loire)

– Brest Métropole Océane (Finistère)

– Cannes (Alpes Maritimes)

– Coufouleux (Tarn)

– Courbevoie – la Défense (Hauts-de-Seine)

– Grand-Champ (Morbihan)

– Grenoble (Isère)

– Kruth (Haut-Rhin)

– La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)

– Lavelanet (Ariège)

– Paris 14e arrondissement

– Paris 15e arrondissement

– Plaine Commune – Saint Denis (Seine St Denis)

– St-Denis de la Réunion (la Réunion)

– Strasbourg (Bas Rhin)

– Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme)

B. For the experiment in new means of consultation:

– Amiens (Somme)

– Aubière (Puy-de-Dôme)

– Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

– Boult (Haute-Saône)

– Bourges (Cher)

– Châteaufort en Yvelines (Yvelines)

– La Bresse (Vosges)

– Lille Métropole Communauté urbaine (Nord)

– Orléans (Loiret)

– Pessac (Gironde)

– Tours (Indre-et-Loire)

Press officers: Laëtitia Verdier 01 40 81 15 96 and Aurore Gillmann 01 40 63 58 48

This selection has been made subject to technical investigation. A few more communities may be added in

order to ensure that the selection is representative.

Preliminary planning will begin in January 2010. The first results will be available in the second quarter of 2010.

– CLICK-