Brussels, 06/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - Adopting a report by the Jules Maaten (Liberal, Dutch), the European Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy Committee wants to strengthen proposed legislation on tobacco. It invites the plenary to toughen the draft Directive presented by the European Commission. This proposal aims to modify the three Directives concerning (1) the contents of cigarettes (with a reduction in level of tar and nicotine and the setting of a ceiling for carbon monoxide) (2) additives (with the obligation to mention the ingredients used) and (3) labelling (strengthen the warnings and ban the use of phrases such as "low tar", "light", "ultra light" and "mild").
The report by Mr. Maaten spoke in favour of an increase in the size of warnings on cigarette packets. The warning should cover at least 40% of the front surface and the additional warning on the side should cover no less than 50% of its surface. He also feels that general warnings such as "smoking kills" are insufficient; they should be replaced with more precise messages such as "smoking kills half a million people per year in the European Union" or "85% of lungs cancers are due to tobacco abuse" or still "it is more difficult to quit smoking than to quit cocaine or heroin". The Environment Committee also hope that: (1) the laboratories responsible for assessing the contents of cigarettes be independent from the tobacco industry; (2) the lot number appears on each packet to guarantee traceability; (3) the manufacturers be forced to return 5% of their profits from the sale of tobacco to research on addiction and the consequences of smoking on health.
The Parliamentary Agriculture Committee was divided and unable to adopt the revised opinion for the Environment Committee by the French Socialist Georges Garot. This opinion was rejected by 15 votes against 15.
Mr. Maaten's report will be debated in plenary on the 13 June in Strasbourg.