ThemainobjectiveandactivitiesoftheEuropeanCooperationinthe

FieldofScientificandTechnicalResearchonPotentialHealthEffects
fromEmergingWirelessCommunicationSystems EmergingEMF
TechnologiesandHealthRiskManagement(COST ActionBM0704)

Prof.Dr.PeterWiedemann
KarlsruheInstituteofTechnology
Germany

Overview

Overarching message

The EMF case

EMF is not only a

scientific issue, it is
a social issue too.
Dont forget to manage a
the social issue!

What is needed
COST approach
A package solution

A package solution is
Needed.

PeterWiedemann

TheEMFcase

PeterWiedemann

TheEMFcase

SocialWorries
Basestations
CellPhones

PeterWiedemann

TheEMFcase:PerceivedEMFRisks
How concerned are you about the potential health risks of electromagnetic fields?

Eurobarometer2010
PeterWiedemann

 InsightsfromsciencearethesameinallEUcountries!
So,whatarethereasonsforthedifferences?
Andevenmoreimportant,whatarepotentialsolutions?

PeterWiedemann

Whatisneeded

PeterWiedemann

Whatisneeded
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingaproperrightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

Whatisneeded
PackagesolutionEMFpolicy
AMC2

Assessment
Management
Cooperation
Communication

PeterWiedemann

Whatisneeded
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingaproperrightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

WhatisCOST?
EuropeanCooperationintheFieldofScientificandTechnical
Research
Has35membercountries(plus23collaboratingcountries)and
enablesscientiststocollaborateinawidespectrumof
activitiesinresearchandtechnology
COSTisbasedonActions.Thesearenetworksofnational
researchprojects.
Actionfundingisusedtocoverworkshops&conferences,
travelcosts,contributionstopublicationsandshortterm
scientificmissionsofresearcherstovisitotherlaboratories

PeterWiedemann

BiomedicalSimulationsandImagingUnit
BIOSIM,Denmark
FranceTelecom,France
FederalAgencyforRadiationProtection,
Germany
FESB,UniversityofSplit,Croatia
HealthProtectionAgency,UK
ItalianNationalAgencyforNewTechnologies,
EnergyandSustainableEconomic
Development,Italy
PolytechnicUniversityofBucharest,Romania
SchoolofElectricandComputerEngineering,
NationalTechnicalUniversityofAthens,
Greece
SrTrndelagUniversityCollege,Norway
SwissFederalOfficeofPublicHealth,
Switzerland
PeterWiedemann

BEMS BioelectromagneticsSociety
EBEA EuropeanBioElectromagnetics
Association
ICNIRP InternationalCommissionon
NonIonizingRadiationProtection
WHO WorldHealthOrganisation

WhatisCOST?
Primaryobjectiveistocreateastructureinwhich
researchersinthefieldofEMFcanshareknowledgeand
information covering
Identifyingnewtechnologies
HowexistingEMFtechnologieschangeandnovel
applicationsaredeveloped
Newemissioncharacteristics potentialexposures
Possiblehealtheffects whatconcernsmightarise
Howsuchconcernsmightbeaddressed scientific
evidence!
Whattoolsareeffectiveincommunicatingsuch
evidence
PeterWiedemann

COSTActionBM0704
EmergingEMFTechnologies:Health
RiskManagement
Workinggroups
EMFMeasurementandmonitoring
EMFcomputationaldosimetry
Epidemiology
Biology
Riskcommunicationandmanagement
Evidencebasedinformationinpolicy
development
Researchers
Riskmanagersandcommunicators
EU,nationalandlocalofficialsand
representatives
Advisoryandstandardsdevelopment
bodies
Industryandcommerce
Themedia
Thegeneralpublic

PeterWiedemann

Whatisneeded
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingaproperrightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

EMFPolicy
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingtherightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

PeterWiedemann

EMFPolicy
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingtherightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

 Riskcommunicationisnotjustamatterofgoodintentions
...Riskmessagesmustbeunderstoodbytherecipients,and
theirimpactsandeffectivenessmustbeunderstoodby
communicators.Tothatend,itisnotlongerappropriateto
relyonhunchesandintuitionsregardingthedetailsof
messageformulation.

Morgan & Lave, 1990, 358

PeterWiedemann

Qualityofinformation
Whatcountsininformationpolicies

Impartiality
Expertise
Transparency
Simplicity
Proactivity

PeterWiedemann

Effectsofinformingaboutprecautionarymeasures
7

Wiedemann,P.M.,&Schtz,H.(2005).
ThePrecautionaryPrincipleandRisk
Perception:ExperimentalStudiesinthe
EMFArea.EnvironHealthPerspect,113,
402405.
Wiedemann,P.M.,Thalmann,A.T.,
Grutsch,M.A.,&Schtz,H.(2006).The
impactsofprecautionarymeasuresand
thedisclosureofscientificuncertainty
onEMFriskperceptionandtrust.
JournalofRiskResearch,9(4),361372.
Barnett,J.,Timotijevic,L.,Shepherd,R.,
&Senior,V.(2007).Publicresponsesto
precautionaryinformationfromthe
DepartmentofHealth(UK)about
possiblehealthrisksfrommobile
phones.HealthPolicy,82(2),240250.

risk perception

1
no information
(N = 70)

information
(N = 176)

Wiedemann&Schtz(2005)

PeterWiedemann

no information
(N = 114)

information
(N = 526)

Wiedemannetal.(2006)

EMFPolicy
Usingtherightscienceinarightwaytoimproverisk
assessment
Applyingtherightriskmanagementframework
Tailoringtherightmessages
Puttingtherightpeopleatrightplacestogetyourmessages
across

PeterWiedemann

Developstrong
communityties

PeterWiedemann

PeterWiedemann

PeterWiedemann

Overallmessage

What is simple is wrong,

what is complex is useless.
Paul Valry

PeterWiedemann

Thankyouverymuchforyourattention!

PeterWiedemann