France: Written question from MP Mathieu Lefèvre: a strong signal to protect the health of cell phone users

Written question from MP Mathieu Lefèvre: a strong signal to protect the health of cell phone users
By : Phonegate Team • 11 Feb 2025

The Phonegate Alert association welcomes the written question submitted to the French National Assembly on February 4, 2025, by Mathieu Lefèvre to the Minister of Health and Access to Care, Yannick Neuder. In it, the MP for Val-de-Marne calls on the government to take urgent action to strengthen regulations on SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) levels for cell phones. The initiative also highlights the persistent inaction of the European Commission, despite the formal objection filed by France five years ago.

A written question to get things moving

The written question submitted by MP Mathieu Lefèvre is a strong signal to the French government and the European Union. It is a reminder that inaction in the face of the health risks associated with cell phone radiation is unacceptable. Indeed, the MP asks:

“In 2020, the French government approached the European Commission to obtain a measurement standard of 0 mm from the body. It therefore asks about the follow-up to such a proposal and the possibility of strengthening standards on national territory.”

The MP added:

“Cell phones have become such an important part of our lives that it is imperative that we mobilize collectively to address the health risks involved in such exposure. This is what the Phonegate Alert association is rightly striving for, and we must support it in its endeavours.”

Inadequate European regulations

In a report entitled “Mobile phones worn close to the body and health”, published in 2019, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) had recommended that the SAR be measured at 0 mm from the body, a distance more reflective of actual cell phone use (in a pocket or against the skin).

However, to date, European tests continue to be carried out at a distance of 5 mm (it was 15 to 25 mm when the alert was launched), allowing manufacturers to market devices that would exceed regulatory limits if tests were carried out in direct contact with the body.

Subsequently, in September, France filed a formal objection with the European Commission to request a change in the standards. However, five years later, no concrete measures have been implemented. Meanwhile, millions of phones with high exposure levels continue to be placed on the French and European markets.

Continue reading:
https://phonegatealert.org/en/mp-mathieu-lefevre-strong-signal-to-protect-health-cell-phone-users/