Belgium's Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected an appeal lodged by two associations and individuals against last year's increase in radiation standards for the use of 5G technology in Brussels Region.
The Court ruled that the new standards violated neither the precautionary principle nor the right to protection of a healthy environment.
"These new standards remain well below those recommended at the international and European level," the Court stated in a press release, adding that the precautionary principle had therefore not been violated.
The court noted that the new standards are also intended to enable the use of 5G technology without considerably increasing the number of antennas.
It emphasised the numerous advantages of 5G technology for many sectors, such as public transport, healthcare, energy, public safety, industry, media and IT, the prospects for growth and employment, and the international and European role of Brussels.
The ordinance under appeal also allows the standards to be exceeded in emergency situations. This derogation was a recommendation of the House Committee of Inquiry into the terrorist attacks of 22 March 2016. Shortly after the attacks, the mobile phone network in Brussels was saturated for several hours.
The Court acknowledged that the derogation "significantly reduces the level of environmental protection" but is strictly limited and therefore "reasonably justified."
The two non-profit associations that had asked for the order to be annulled are the ‘Groupe de Réflexion et d'Action Pour une Politique Écologique de la Santé’ and the ‘Association pour la Reconnaissance de l'ElectroHyperSensibilité.’