Pressure Mounts To Amend Directive Restricting MRI Use In Europe

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) manufacturers may get a permanent reprieve if the European Commission (EC) delivers on its promise to amend a directive that would restrict the use of MRIs in the EU, Katharina von Schnurbein, a European Commission spokeswoman, said. The Physical Agents Directive was adopted by the European Union in 2004 to limit occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields.

The European Parliament and academic groups had criticized the directive, saying it would effectively eliminate the use of MRIs in Europe. Parliament issued a resolution in the month of April 2009 calling on the EC to amend the directive to exclude MRI scanners.