Andart

Magnetic Delays

This week on CNE: the EU finally realized that the Physical Agents Directive made much use of MRI impossible. Sanity wins after three years and lots of lobbying to stop a proposal that solves a non-problem.

It is interesting to see how the precautionary principle (invoked to set exposure limits to magnetic fields) is not seen as applicable to EU directives, where harm has to be demonstrated. Applying the principle to policymaking would be quite rational: in the absence of evidence that a proposed policy would be helpful and not have deleterious side effects, it ought not to be passed. Maybe the Commission could argue for a proactionary approach.