COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2021/1828

of 7 October 2021

on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Stop (((5G))) – Stay Connected but Protected’ pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(notified under document C(2021) 7293)

(Only the English text is authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiative (1), and in particular Article 6(2) and (3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Stop (((5G))) – Stay Connected but Protected’ was submitted to the Commission on 12 August 2021.

(2) The objectives of the initiative as expressed by the organisers are: ‘5G deployment is putting our rights to a healthy environment, freedom and privacy at stake. We call on the Commission to propose legislation to protect citizens and the environment from these threats:

(a) Humans, fauna and flora are being harmed by radiation. Current exposure limits provide insufficient protection – especially for vulnerable people (like children, pregnant women, patients, the elderly), animals, pollinating insects and plants – Enact regulation to protect all life from radio frequency and microwave radiation;

(b) With 5G the amount of connected electronic devices, antennas and satellites will explode. Unsustainable energy consumption, radiation emissions, harmful mining and pollution will follow, which will endanger biodiversity and natural habitats – Enact stronger regulation to protect the environment from all the impacts of 5G and digitalization.

(c) 5G enables massive data collection and surveillance by connected objects. This will increase the risk of cybercrime, data leak, theft, resale and misuse of artificial intelligence – Enact effective data protection to safeguard our privacy, security and freedom’.

(3) An annex provides further details on the subject matter and the objectives of the initiative, listing 23 calls for action, referred to as ‘proposals to be implemented in Union law’. Further information on the 23 calls for action is provided in a document submitted as ‘draft legal act’. The group of organisers also provided translations of the objectives in a number of Union languages as ‘additional information’.

(4) As regards the first objective, the initiative lists the following ten calls for action:

‘1.

Enact radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) exposure limits based on all health and biological effects, not only those related to temperature, to protect humans and to apply the precautionary principle;

Update Recommendation 1999/519/EC and Directive 2013/35/EU, which should be regularly reviewed and reassessed;

Base Recommendation 1999/519/EC and Workplace Directive 2013/35/EU on the best available scientific data, with limits set to the most protective among all scientific and empirical guidelines available;

Ensure additional exposure guidelines are made by scientists who have biomedical expertise and who are free from conflicts of interest and to appoint a new panel or expand activities of the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) to assess RF EMF’s bioactive parameters;

Ensure the testing of wireless devices, antennas and their operation assesses all biologically active parameters of RF EMF;