ENEWS: EU plans for tighter cigarette controls

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

by Michael Smith / in Brussels  
Source: Financial Times, Monday, 11/15/99

The European Commission is expected tomorrow to propose a significant
tightening of European Union laws governing the content and labelling of
cigarettes, in a campaign to reduce deaths from cancer.

Its recommendations to toughen legislation are likely to provoke a lengthy
battle with an industry which is struggling with the effects of - and
fighting in the law courts - a 1998 EU decision to ban tobacco advertising
from 2001.

Under the proposals, drawn up by David Byrne, consumer protection
commissioner, maximum permissible levels of tar would be cut from 12mg a
cigarette to 10mg.

Carbon monoxide, for which there are no existing limits, would also be
restricted to 10mg, while the maximum nicotine content would be 1mg.

The new laws, a consolidation and revision of three existing directives,
would force manufacturers to print larger health warnings, and in black
and white, to make them clearer.

They would have to provide warnings that smoking can increase the danger
of cardio-vascular disease.

Tobacco companies would also have to provide national authorities with
lists of the contents of ingredients and quantities.

The proposals are due to be considered by the 20 commissioners who run the
EU's executive at their weekly meeting tomorrow, in Strasbourg.

Although there is still a possibility that the discussion could be
postponed and the proposals diluted, officials said the commissioners
seemed certain to back a tightening of rules soon because of their
commitment to improving public health protection.

Mr Byrne told a Dublin conference recently that one aim of his proposals
was to ensure that consumers were fully informed of the dangers of smoking
and that they were not subjected to industry-led pressure to smoke.

"Then and only then can we consider smoking to be an issue of personal
choice," he said.

The proposals are likely to unleash a campaign of frenetic activity from
an industry whose lobbying skills are renowned throughout the world.

"Members of parliament will dine out over this for the next two years,"
said one Commission official.

Tobacco companies are already challenging in the courts the EU's decision
to clamp down on advertising under public health legislation, and could
take a similar stance on the new directive.

Mark Transon, corporate affairs director at Philip Morris, maker of brands
including Marlboro, said the industry wanted dialogue and consultation.

"We have had allegations and counter-allegations; we are looking for
solutions that provide a stable business and regulatory environment," he
said.

The proposals will also draw renewed attention to the EU's provision of
E1bn ($1.04bn) a year to subsidise tobacco-growing, mostly in economically
deprived regions.