Switzerland: Text of federal popular initiative “For a health conscious and energy-efficient mobile communications”

The proponents of the initiative have until April 15, 2021 to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to force a nationwide vote.

Published in the Federal Gazette on October 15, 2019. The undersigned Swiss citizens with the right to vote request, pursuant to Articles 34, 136, 139 and 194 of the Federal Constitution and in accordance with the Federal Act of 17 December 1976 on political rights (arts. 68 et seq.), that the Constitution is amended as follows:

1. the limit values of the installation set out in the Ordinance of 23 December 1999 on protection against non-ionizing radiation, which are between 4 and 6 volts per meter, should not be measured, not even due to new measurement methods,

2. mobile telephony and Internet services must be divided into outdoor and indoor space; the power and consequently, the electricity consumption of mobile phone transmitters and wireless local area networks must be lowered so that the emissions no longer pass through the damping of the building; inside buildings, the data must be transmitted by fiber-optic or coaxial cables, not by electromagnetic waves.

3. the law expressly establishes, with regard to non-ionizing radiation, the following
fundamental rights such as respect for the home, physical and psychological integrity and freedom of movement, respectively in Art. 13 para. 1 and 10 para. 2,

4. the law also regulates high-frequency radiation sources of a private nature inside the buildings so that no radiation can penetrate neighboring premises,

5. the Confederation provides the population, through both the educational institutions and the health system, all information relating to the health risks represented by non-ionizing radiation, possible protective measures and the symptoms of electrosensitivity,

6. in accordance with Art. 65 para. 1, it collects data relating to  non-ionizing radiation and the clinical picture of electrosensitivity; these data must be relevant to individual symptomatology,

7. the location of non-visible transmitting stations must be indicated and station data must be published,

8. telecommunications companies that plan either to develop new installations emitting electromagnetic radiation, or to increase the capacity of existing installations, must obtain the written consent of persons residing within a radius of 400 meters,

9. independent experts are authorized to measure without notice the electromagnetic emissions and to compare their data with those of telecommunications companies; the two sets of data must be published next to each other within one week on a Confederation platform,

10. all means of public transport must be equipped with a series of seats marked with an indication that the use of electronic devices is prohibited,

11. persons with symptoms of electrosensitivity should have free access to independent counselling centers,

12. premises of public buildings such as kindergartens, schools, higher education institutions, buildings of the municipal authorities, hospitals, institutions for the elderly, facilities for persons with disabilities and  medico-social facilities, must be arranged in such a way that they are free of any electromagnetic radiation.

Art. 197, c. 12
12. Transitional provision ad art. 118, para. 2, letter d (Health protection
against non-ionizing radiation)
Art. 118, para. 2, letter d, must be implemented within two years following its acceptance by the people and the cantons. The Confederation, the  telecommunications companies, device users and cantons participate in the costs associated with the changes in question.