BRUSSELS – 14 June 2011 – COCIR, the trade association representing the medical imaging, electromedical and healthcare IT industry, welcomes the European Commission’s new proposal, released today, for an EMF Directive which excludes lifesaving MRI technology from the exposure limit values. This Directive (2004/40/EC) was postponed for four years in 2007.

Due to this exemption, high-quality patient care and early disease detection will remain possible in the EU, including new research and development in MRI. If subject to the proposed general limit values, operation, innovation and routine cleaning and maintenance of MRI equipment would become virtually impossible. Medical applications such as MR have been serving European citizens for more than 20 years and it is essential to acknowledge that they are proven technologies.

Nicole Denjoy, COCIR Secretary General, said “Because the safety of patients and workers - a priority for COCIR members - is already addressed by specific international standards, the proposed exemption is the only solution that safeguards further development of MRI, ensuring continued innovation in patient care”.


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