Brussels, 17/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - Inter-institutional discussions on the Tobacco Directive closed on Monday evening 16 December, without an agreement being reached. The different parties were unable to agree on electronic cigarettes, which at the beginning of the discussions were only supposed to be one of the different sections of the directive but which have effectively become one of the most important sticking points in them - given the increasing success these kinds of cigarettes are having. The different sides, however, did manage to agree on other parts of the dossier: health warnings covering 65% of cigarette packets; the ban on flavourings, despite an exception for menthol cigarettes, which will have a six-year transition period after implementation of the directive; and stepping up the fight against trafficking in tobacco products, particularly by way of a tracking mechanism.
A source close to the dossier said that tripartite discussions would continue until Wednesday when the permanent representatives of the EU28 (Coreper) will begin looking at the issue. Ahead of the most recent Coreper meeting on Friday 13 December, member states had agreed to withdraw their original demand to classify electronic cigarettes in the medicines category. On the other hand, they expect the European Parliament to agree to a number of rules for restricting the attractiveness of this product and possible harmful effects by banning rechargeable versions of it and limiting nicotine levels. The most recent version of the compromise discussed on Monday included authorisation for rechargeable electronic cigarettes but left the European Commission the option of banning it, if requested by at least three member states. The authorised nicotine ceiling had been set at 20mg/ml, less than that demanded by the Parliament (30ml/mg). The latter was, however, prepared to go along with the proposal. The different parties were unable to reach an agreement in the end on Monday evening because several member states ultimately opposed the provisions on re-charging and nicotine levels. The Parliament's different political groups did, however, mention the following day the fact that an “agreement” had been reached with the Council although the latter disputes this and describes this as a tactic adopted to make it give way. (IL/transl.fl)