Segnalazione da Health & Consumer e-News

Public hearing on the preliminary Opinion on the Health Effects of Artificial Light

Registration is now open for the Scientific Hearing on the Pre-consultation Opinion on the Health Effects of Artificial Light, taking place in Brussels on 10 October 2011. Interested parties are invited to register here.

 In 2008 and 2010, the Commission asked the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) to look into the health effects of artificial light for the following reasons:

1. The European Union is promoting the widespread use of energy saving lamps while phasing out incandescent lamps for environmental reasons, and
2. There are concerns regarding light sensitivity and potential health effects of artificial light.

The Opinion up for discussion during the upcoming Public Hearing is a recent update of SCENIHR's 2008 Opinion on light sensitivity. The analysis in this second opinion covers a wider range of lighting technologies and associated potential health risks. It also suggests solutions for avoiding potential risks and identifies relevant research needs.

The hearing will complement the public consultation (which was launched on 19 July 2011 with a deadline of 30 September 2011) by giving stakeholders and the public the opportunity to present scientific evidence and arguments to the SCENIHR Working Group experts on the subject of the opinion.

For more information on the consultation: http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consultations/public_consultations/scenihr_consultation_14_en.htm