T +33388413193 F +33390214134 http://assembly.coe.int [email protected] Ref. PACE 007 (2011) The potential dangers of electromagnetic fields a highlight of the PACE Standing Committee’s debates in Kyiv Strasbourg, 19.05.2011 – The potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment will be a central focus of the meeting of the Standing Committee (*) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to be held in Kyiv on Friday 27 May 2011 on the occasion of the transfer of the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Ukraine. Assembly members will hold a debate on the basis of the report by Jean Huss (Luxembourg, SOC) and will adopt a resolution on this issue. The draft text calls for a series of measures to reduce exposure – especially of children and young people – to electromagnetic fields, and in particular radio frequencies emitted by mobile phones. The other topics to be discussed concern the health hazards of heavy metals, promoting microcredit for a more social economy, reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, the impact of the Eastern Partnership of the European Union on governance and economic development in eastern Europe, and the need for an effective international response to Iran's nuclear programme. Following the opening speech by PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn will address participants. The parliamentarians will then hold an exchange of views with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Chairman of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers for a six-month period which began on 11 May 2011. The discussions will focus on Ukraine’s priorities during its chairmanship and on other questions relating to the Assembly’s ongoing political dialogue with the Committee of Ministers. On 25 May, Mr Çavuşoğlu will hold bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (to be confirmed), the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn, the Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, and the Chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Justice Committee Sergei Kivalov. Draft agenda of the Standing Committee meeting (PDF) Standing Committee working documents Ukrainian chairmanship website * * * Note to editors The meeting of the Standing Committee, open to the press, will take place on Friday 27 May 2011 from 9 am to 1 pm in the Verkhovna Rada Conference Hall (5 Hrushevskogo, Entrance II, Kyiv). The PACE President will give a press briefing with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, following the exchange of views, at about 10 am. Contacts: Nathalie Bargellini, PACE Communication Division, mobile +33 6 30 49 68 20, tel. +33 3 88 41 22 82, e-mail : [email protected] Kyiv Office: tel. +380 44 234 61 40 or +380 44 234 62 10 Accreditations: Viktoria Shvedova, Verkhovna Rada, e-mail: [email protected] ______________________ (*) The Standing Committee, which acts on the Assembly’s behalf between plenary sessions, consists of the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the chairs of political groups, the chairs of national delegations and the committee chairs. The Assembly brings together 318 members from the national parliaments of the 47 member states. President: Mevlüt Çavusoglu (Turkey, EDG) - Secretary General of the Assembly: Wojciech Sawicki. Political groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People's Party); SOC (Socialist Group); EDG (European Democrat Group); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left). .