Brussels, 22/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 May in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted (379 votes for, 244 against, with 13 abstentions) in favour of maintaining aid for tobacco planters till 2013. By amending the Commission's proposal, the EP is also extending the Community Tobacco Fund for a further five years (2013), which finances changes to the sector, as well as public awareness campaigns on the dangers of smoking (EUROPE 9645 on the initial report of Sergio Berlato (Italy) and voted on in the parliamentary agricultural committee). The Commission is proposing an extension of the Community Tobacco Fund for 2008 and 2009 in an effort to align the 2003 rules on granting aid to raw tobacco growers until the 2009 harvest.
The International Union of Tobacco Growers (UNITAB) welcomed this “first institutional victory of tobacco producers”. Herman Pfanger, UNITAB president, said that the EP proposal is a, “reasonable compromise between public health objectives and maintaining rural regions through supporting small and medium tobacco plantations”. The Community Tobacco Fund is financed by a 5% tax on the total sum of aid to tobacco producers. The EP is proposing to increase this tax to 6% from 2009. Parliament believes that extending the tax till 2012 and the percentage increase of it will benefit the Tobacco Fund and allow for funding of more than €81 million over the whole period. (L.C.)