Brussels, 26/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - As expected, the European Parliament adopted the tobacco directive on first reading on 26 February, by 514 votes to 66, with 58 abstentions. “This is the culmination of years of work against the background of intense lobbying from the tobacco industry and its front groups. The new measures are a big step forward for tobacco control and will help to prevent the next generation of smokers from being recruited”, stated rapporteur Linda McAvan (S&D, UK). Health Commissioner Tonio Borg is pleased: “This is a great day for EU health policy”, he commented. The text now goes forward for formal approval by the Council of Ministers on 14 March.
The new directive targets the young in particular, to discourage them from starting or continuing smoking. It provides for substantial health warnings and the removal of flavours, and gives the option for the highly controversial electronic cigarettes to be considered as medicinal products or as consumer goods (see EUROPE 11026). Some political groups have commented on the vote. The EPP welcomes a text which will make tobacco less attractive to young people. It stresses the need to ensure safety standards for e-cigarettes. “We have done what people expect of us: to tighten up the tobacco law to ensure maximum health protection”, stated Karl-Heinz Florenz (EPP, Germany). Françoise Grossetete (EPP, France) regretted e-cigarettes had not been given a harmonised classification: “The agreement leaves the way clear for divergent situations in the member states”. Speaking for the S&D, McAvan stated: “E-cigarette manufacturers have the option of having their products treated like tobacco products … as long as they meet certain safeguards”. For the Greens/EFA, while the new directive will give consumers greater protection, the final text remains less ambitious than the European Commission proposal. There will finally be legal rules on e-cigarettes, they say. “The intention of the European institutions was to do everything possible to ensure that electronic cigarettes did not encourage non-smokers to start smoking”, stated Michele Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France). The ECR was critical of the 14 pages devoted to regulations on e-cigarettes. This over-regulation will make these products less available than tobacco products themselves and will encourage smokers to continue smoking, argued Martin Callanan (UK). (IL)