IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans
VOLUME 102: NON-IONIZING RADIATION, PART II:
RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
[INCLUDES MOBILE TELEPHONES, MICROWAVES AND RADAR]
Lyon, France: 24-31 May 2011
I slutet av maj 2011 kommer WHO organet International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) att utvärdera cancerrisker av radiofrekvent strålning. Det inkluderar radiofrekventa fält från radio och TV-master, basstationer och mobiltelefoner. Utvärderingen kommer att resultera i en klassificering av icke-joniserande radiofrekvent strålning enligt fem grupper:
Grupp 1: Cancerframkallande för människa
Grupp 2A: Troligen (probably) cancerframkallande för människa
Grupp 2B: Möjligen (possibly) cancerframkallande för människa
Grupp 3: Kan ej klassificieras som cancerframkallande för människa
Grupp 4: Troligen (probably) inte cancerframkallande för människa
Sammanställningen kommer att resultera i en publikation (Monograph, volume 102). En rad internationella experter deltar i utvärderingen enligt den publicerade listan över deltagare. Kritik har redan riktats mot att en del personer i gruppen har bindningar till industrin och/eller till ICNIRP, en organisation med stort inflytande över riktlinjer för exponering.
Fem observatörer har inbjudits varav tre från industrin. Även detta har kritiserats, se t ex Microwave News. Lobbyverksamhet är ett välkänt fenomen inte minst inför beslut inom EU. Risken finns för otillbörlig inverkan från industrirepresentanter på deltagarna t ex under pauser och kvällar. Vidare kan personer som redan har tät kontakt med industrin och forskningsmedel från industrin påverkas under mötet eftersom just industrifolk är åhörare.
Mötet är viktigt eftersom resultatet kommer att påverka användningen av trådlös teknik under lång tid framåt. IARC har tidigare utvärderat extremt lågfrekventa elektromagnetiska fält som resulterade i bedömning enligt Grupp 2B: Möjligen (possibly) cancerframkallande för människa. Detta publicerades i Monograph, Volume 80, 2002.
Dear Mrs Wilks,
Thank you for your interest in the IARC Monographs Programme.
The Preamble to the IARC Monographs describes the objective and scope of the programme, the scientific principles and procedures used in developing a Monograph (see http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Preamble/index.php). The Preamble has been carefully developed and regularly updated during the past four decades to reflect scientific developments and procedural changes. After a year-long process, which included two international Advisory-Group meetings and a period for public comments, it was last amended in 2006.
Under “A. General principles and procedures” point 5, “Meeting participants”, the Preamble defines the different types of participant and their respective roles during the meeting. Observers are one group of participants:
“(d) Observers with relevant scientific credentials may be admitted to a meeting by IARC in limited numbers. Attention will be given to achieving a balance of Observers from constituencies with differing perspectives. They are invited to observe the meeting and should not attempt to influence it. Observers do not serve as meeting chair or subgroup chair, draft any part of a Monograph, or participate in the evaluations. At the meeting, the meeting chair and subgroup chairs may grant Observers an opportunity to speak, generally after they have observed a discussion. Observers agree to respect the Guidelines for Observers at IARC Monographs meetings (available at http://monographs.iarc.fr).”
All Observers must adhere to the Guidelines for Observers:
“Implicit in the term ”Observer” is the responsibility to observe the meeting and not to attempt to influence its outcome. This includes – before and during the meeting –
– Not to contact participants before the meeting or to lobby them at any time.
– Not to send written materials to meeting participants. Pertinent scientific studies that are published or accepted for publication may be sent to IARC.
– Not to offer meals, drinks, social invitations, or other favors to meeting participants.
Participants are asked to report any contact or attempt to influence that they may encounter, either before or during the meeting.
To provide an atmosphere conducive to free and frank discussion, Observers may not make a written transcript, audio- or video-recording, or audio- or video-transmission of any part of the meeting.
Observers must complete the WHO Declaration of Interests, which covers financial interests, employment and consulting, and individual and institutional research support related to the subject of the meeting. Pertinent interests will be disclosed to the meeting participants and in the published volume of IARC Monographs.
Attendance at an IARC Monographs meeting is a privilege granted by invitation. Lack of cooperation with these Guidelines may result in an Observer being asked to leave the meeting and the reason being disclosed to the meeting participants.”
For the upcoming meeting on “Volume 102: Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part II” the request for Observer status has been granted for a few Observers from industry and from organisations with a perspective on cancer patients, cancer survivors and public health (see: http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Meetings/vol102-participants.pdf).
Members of the press are not admitted to IARC Monographs Working Group meetings. However, for some meetings of greater public-health interest, a press release and/or a press conference will inform journalists and the public about the outcome of the meeting. For the forthcoming meeting on “Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part II”, both an IARC Press Release and a press conference are being prepared. More detailed information will be available on the Monographs website in due course.
Sincerely yours,
Robert A Baan, Responsible Officer
Kurt Straif, Acting Head of the Programme
At 09:43 06/04/2011, you wrote:
26 mar 2011 kl. 23.38 skrev Elisabeth Cardis:
Dear Eva
Thank you for your e-mail. May I suggest you contact directly the persons responsible for the IARC monographs at IARC – Kurt Straif and Robert Baan (copied on this message) to discuss this issue?
With best wishes
Elisabeth
On 25/03/2011 20:53, Eva Wilks wrote:
Dear Elisabeth,
I am a Swedish politican who wrote to you after the Interphone study presented last year as I was concerned how it was presented in Swedish media.
Now I can read that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has invited three industry operatives to sit in on its weeklong assessment of the cancer risks associated with exposure to wireless radiation and other sources of RF/microwave radiation. Representatives from CTIA, the Wireless Association, the Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF) and the GSM Association will all be allowed to attend the IARC review.
I have now got the information that journalists are denied because, according to IARC, ”the presence of journalists or reporters during IARC Monograph meetings could disrupt the atmosphere of free and frank discussion among scientists.”
Is this true?
How can members of the IARC let the industry attend but not journalists?
I am deeply concerned of how experts/researchers can let this happen. How industry can be so involved in decisionmaking as I now gather they are?
There must be an end to this lobbyism regarding . How do you think the panel can be trustworthy?
As a politican I feel I have to react now.
Yours sincerely,
Eva Wilks
Sweden
—
Prof. Elisabeth Cardis
CREAL-Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology
Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (despatx 183.09.B)
Doctor Aiguader, 88 | 08003 Barcelona
Tel. +34 932 147 312 | Fax +34 932 147 301
ecardis@creal.cat
http://www.creal.cat
Assistant: Eva Herrero
Tel. + 34 93 214 7310| Fax +34 93 214 7302 | e-mail: eherrero@creal.cat
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