22/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Robert Goebbels MEP (Luxembourg socialist) asked the European Commission about what draft directive it intended to present for a blanket ban on smoking in certain public places, such as bars and restaurants. Goebbels pointed out that he had never been a smoker and asked how such a Community initiative could be justified with regard to subidiarity and proportionality principles. The MEP said, “supposing that the legislator of one or other Member States is not inclined to follow Ireland and Italy in this area, what general Union objectives would be threatened?”