Brussels, 30/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 24 October, the European Parliament adopted an own initiative report at its plenary in Strasbourg on the Commission's Green Paper on strategic options at EU level for moving towards a tobacco smoke-free EU. The report by German Christian Democrat Karl-Heinz Florenz, adopted by 561 to 63 votes with 36 abstentions, points out that some 650,000 people die every year in the EU from cigarette smoking, along with 80,000 who die due to the effects of passive smoking. Moreover, the use of tobacco costs European national economies hundreds of billions of euros every year. Faced with these statistics, the report welcomes the European Commission's initiative and calls for the introducing of EU anti-smoking measures, adding that smoking should no longer be seen as acceptable.
The European Parliament is urging EU member states to introduce a total ban on smoking in confined workplaces within the next two years, authorising exceptional 'smoking zones' that take account of national or regional specificities but do not reduce protection levels for children and young people. Many member states have already introduced such measures or are preparing to do so but tolerance of smoking is generally allowed in closed smoking areas, and there are exemptions almost everywhere for hotels, bars and restaurants. The EP recommends that tobacco sales should be prohibited across the EU for people under the age of 18, and smoking in the presence of young people should be banned in private transport (like cars). The EP says that it is unacceptable that some member states encourage the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products by levying low duty so as to boost their overall tax income, and the report calls on the Commission to set a minimum, high level of duty on tobacco products and to beef up controls of contraband products at the same time. In order to protect consumers, the Commission is urged to put forward an amendment to the 2001 directive on tobacco products, for 2008 if possible, to introduce tighter regulation for additives, banning additives which encourage addiction, carcinogens, mutagens and products which damage reproduction, and to improve information about other additives. It is also suggested that there should be improvements in health warnings on packaging and smoking prevention campaigns through the intermediary of doctors. In addition, products to help people give up smoking should be covered by a lower rate of VAT.
Alexander Macara, on behalf of the Standing European Medicine Committee, and John Chave, speaking on behalf of the EU Pharmaceuticals Grouping, immediately issued a joint press release welcoming the MEPs' desire to rid the EU of the plague of smoking and addiction to tobacco products. (O.J.)