The Tobacco Debate is Heating Up!
Amendments to the proposed Tobacco Product Directive tabled
More than 1360 amendments to the new Tobacco Product Directive, which is currently being discussed at the European Parliament, were tabled in May 2013. EFA is going to have a look at all of them and advocate for those which will help to put people off smoking and relieve the burden for patients already suffering from respiratory diseases.
Amendments were discussed on May 30 at the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament meeting.
The proposal was also discussed at the Council working party meeting and at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) – the EESC Bureau eventually decided to postpone adoption of the opinion on the Directive to July plenary session.
More information can be found here.
Workshop on electronic cigarettes
On the 7th of May, a workshop on electronic cigarettes was organised at the European Parliament in Brussels. The voices of the Commission and the World Health Organisation, together with national regulators, scientists and vapers (or e-cigarette users), were heard. EFA has been advocating for a stronger Tobacco Products Directive and was represented at the event by EU Policy Officer Roberta Savli.
Many Members of the European Parliament took active part in the lively discussion. For some, electronic cigarettes should not be regulated under any special framework and only respect the requirement of the general safety of products directive. Others think that they should be considered medicinal devices while some people believe that they should have the same treatment as other nicotine replacements.
EFA shares the concern of WHO and believes that electronic cigarettes should be regulated as soon as possible to guarantee at the best their safety and efficacy for European citizens.
More information can be found here. You can also see what MEPs think about e-cigarettes regulation here.
Call for more regulation on tobacco products
In May, the Parliament’s Magazine devoted its #5Qs interview session to tobacco regulation and interviewed rapporteur Linda McAvan. EFA took the opportunity and submitted questions for the MEP on-line.
McAvan expressed her support of pictorial warnings, regulation of e-cigarettes and pre-authorization process of new tobacco products in the interview. EFA supports the MEP on plain packaging and pictorial warnings which can put people off smoking before they even start. The learn more, watch the interview here.
Workshop on tobacco: Do tobacco control measures reduce tobacco use?
On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2013 in May, the WHO has invited MEPs, stakeholders and NGOs to discuss whether tobacco measures reduce tobacco use at the European Parliament. EFA will be represented at the event by EU Policy Officer Roberta Savli who has been monitoring the development in the proposed Tobacco Product Directive closely.
At the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to discuss and review scientific evidence on the effectiveness of key measures to reduce smoking. Special attention will be paid to issues addressed by the revision of the EU Tobacco Product directive. A roundtable discussion will follow the experience of various countries such as Turkey and Brazil and the role of NGOs will be taken into consideration as well.