Lawsuit against the Federal Republic of Germany
Pressrelease 1/26 (PDF original)
KOMPETENZINITIATIVE zum Schutz von Mensch, Umwelt und Demokratie e.V.
29th September 2026
Lawsuit against the Federal Republic demands reassessment of exposure limits regarding mobile phone antennas
A group of plaintiffs is filing a lawsuit today at the Administrative Court in Berlin against the Federal Republic of Germany. They are demanding that the mobile phone exposure limits, which have remained unchanged since their introduction in 1996, be reassessed and significantly tightened.
For the first time, the focus is on the requested court ruling that the current limits no longer correspond to the latest scientific knowledge regarding health risks from mobile phone radiation. Such a reassessment was recently also demanded by the Supreme Court in the USA.
Lawyer Dirk Teßmer, legal representative of the plaintiffs with a special focus on environmental law:
„We present to the court the current state of scientific knowledge on the effects of mobile phone radiation on health. Since the Federal Ministry for the Environment, responsible for health protection and prevention, is inactive, the lawsuit aims to achieve a judicial determination of an obligation to adjust the limit values. It is not about a political evaluation, but about a legal review of state protection duties“.
The plaintiffs do not fundamentally question the expansion of modern communication technologies. They demand limit values that prevent mobile phone radiation from being harmful to health; a duty that also derives from Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Basic Law, which guarantees the right to life and physical integrity.
After according to scientists, health effects can already occur below the current limit values, including oxidative stress in cells, changes to genetic material, effects on the nervous system, and impairments of reproduction. According to the Competence Initiative, numerous affected individuals report symptoms that they attribute to mobile phone radiation, which restrict their daily lives.
Prof. Dr. Wilfried Kühling, scientist at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg: „The scientific discussion about the biological effects of mobile phone radiation has developed significantly in recent years – this has not yet been recognized by the responsible authorities. These findings need to be taken into account when deciding on government protection measures. The lawsuit is now supposed to lead to an independent judicial review.“
The current limits so far only protect against the heating of body cells by mobile phone microwaves. Non-thermal effects and possible long-term consequences are not considered. An international association of experts classifies this as a serious risk, according to their own statement.
A significant part of the population already clearly attributes various symptoms to excessive mobile phone radiation. One of the plaintiffs commented: „We are suing because we are sick and not being protected. People need low-radiation spaces, and limits that actually protect. Low-radiation spaces are a basic right – not a luxury.“
The lawsuit is aimed in particular at:
- reviewing protection against non-thermal and possible long-term effects and including it in the risk assessment,
- ensuring the protection of particularly vulnerable population groups,
- including new frequency ranges and current technical developments,
- applying the precautionary principle anchored in environmental law also to mobile phone radiation,
- regularly reviewing the limits in the future on an independent, pluralistic scientific basis.
The decision of the court will potentially affect the entire population and could have fundamental significance for future protection against mobile phone radiation and other environmental burdens in Germany.
Present at the press conference:
- Two presentatives of the plaintiffs
- Lawyer Dirk Teßmer, PNT Partner Rechtsanwälte
- Prof. Dr. Wilfried Kühling, expert
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