Brussels, 15/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - Next week the EP will be examining the report by Spanish Socialist, Manuel Medina on the draft directive (replacing that of 1998 and cancelled by the Court of Justice in 2000) which aims to ban all kinds of advertising for tobacco products. In a press conference, Members of the Environment and Health Committee highlighted the need to oppose the compromise proposed by the Legal Committee, which attempted to make the European Commission proposal more flexible, as well as put back the ban on sports events sponsorship until 2006 and introduce specific provisions for regional newspapers. Drawing attention to a study carried out in the United Kingdom, which had demonstrated that the absence of advertising reduced the number of new consumers amongst young people by around 2.5%, Greek Socialist Minerva Malliori called for the approval of the European Commission proposal. Finnish Green, Heidi Hautala, attacked the attitude of members of the Legal Committee which had "cynically followed the lobby" of the tobacco industry. She also appealed for the rejection of all the amendments. The position of Ms Malliori also received the support of the Spaniard, Laura Gonzalez (GUE) and Dutch Liberal, Jules Maaten, for whom it was incomprehensible that a Parliamant had just voted for the banning of advertising for medicines but was in favour of advertising for tobacco.