EU Commission selects TechWatch report for RFID consultation
The European Commission has selected a TechWatch report on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies published in May of this year to form part of its consultation exercise on RFID alongside other research and industry reports from across the EU.
At the very simplest level, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies allow the transmission of a unique serial number wirelessly, using radio waves. Attaching an RFID tag to a physical object allows the object to be 'seen' and monitored by existing computer networks and back-office administration systems.
The focus of the TechWatch report - ‘RFID: frequency, standards, adoption and innovation’ - is on RFID technology and its likely impact on education, but one of the report's findings was that it is increasingly difficult to discuss RFID technology without also considering privacy issues and the health implications for staff who work in RFID-enabled environments. It was similar concerns that led the EU Commission to instigate a public consultation process
Up until recently the European Commission's main concern has been to avoid a fragmented approach to RFID implementation across the Member States so it has concentrated on issues of interoperability, standards and radio spectrum allocation. However, increasing levels of public concern around privacy and the health implications for people who work in RFID-enabled environments have led to the launch of an EU-wide consultation programme.
Jisc's TechWatch report has been selected for a collection of reports and White Papers that has been put together to provide an overview of current thinking from research and industry across Europe. This collection will complement the outputs of the EU consultation process and be made available from the EU's RFID consultation website.
The TechWatch report is available from the TechWatch website's publications page.