Public exposure
In 1999 the EU created a Recommendation on public exposure. The values in it are taken directly from ICNIRP 1998. It recommends that Member States introduce these limits for public exposure with certain provisos:
- taking account of the risks and benefits
- where the time of exposure is significant
As the name suggests, it is not binding. The UK and several other European countries have in fact complied.
See also:
- Further details of the Recommendation
- The Recommendation itself as published in the Official Journal
Occupational exposure
In 2004 the EU created a Directive on occupational exposure. The values were the same as ICNIRP but given different names. This required Member States to introduce these limits in their countries by 2008. In 2007, however, it became apparent that to do so would probably create unacceptable problems for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). So a new Directive was passed extending the timescale for implementation by another four years, with the expectation that within that time the limits would be changed. A new Directive was proposed by the Commission in 2011 and passed in 2013.