12/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Parliament refused to vote urgently, in the ongoing session, on the draft amendment to the directive on the structure and level of excise duties applicable to manufactured tobacco, proposal that it rejected at its November session in Strasbourg, following its rapporteur Giorgios Katidoris who had secured the postponement of his report in Committee (see EUROPE of 16 November, page 14). "As far as I know, it is not urgent to reach a Council decision, as it should enter into force in July. We thus have the time to negotiate with the Commission, which I am already doing", explained Mr. Katiforis.