[Intl-tobacco] EU: Cigarette makers show friendly opposition to Brussels (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Cigarette makers show friendly opposition to Brussels

by Michael Smith  
Source: Financial Times, Thursday, 6/8/00

 Tobacco can kill; it can also lobby. Two years after the tobacco
industry's last big European Union battle - over an advertising ban -
cigarette makers are back in Brussels in force.

 This time their target is a proposal to tighten rules on cigarette
content and labelling, due for debate next week in the European
parliament.

 And this time the industry is presenting a more friendly face. Instead of
outright opposition, the tactic used unsuccessfully in the advertising
battle, the manufacturers are merely pressing for change to the proposals.

 Philip Morris says it "largely supports" the proposed directive. "Tobacco
is a unique product that entails risks," says David Davies, a
vice-president.  "Public authorities have an important role to play in
regulating its use."

 Wilfried Dembach, chairman of Ceccm, representing cigarette
manufacturers, makes equally soothing noises but denies tactics have
changed because of the defeat over advertising.

 There is, he suggests, room for debate and for compromise. "If you are
faced with a total ban, as over advertising, what else can you do but
oppose?" he says. "Here it is different".

 In spite of the industry's softer tone, the debate is likely to be
vigorous.  Tobacco generates controversy like few other subjects; it
divides member states between supporters of tighter controls such as the
UK and sceptics, such as Germany, and creates tensions within the
political parties in the European parliament.

 Smoking-related deaths may kill 500,000 EU citizens every year, as David
Byrne, union health commissioner responsible for the directive, asserts.
But tobacco generates annual EU revenues of E60bn ($57bn) and supports 1m
jobs.

 Figures like these impress, and members of the European parliament have
submitted more than 200 amendments ahead of next week's debate which will
culminate in the first of two parliamentary votes.

 Most seek to tighten controls but some MEPs feel the proposed legislation
goes too far and Commission officials fear there may be attempts to
postpone the debate to later in the year to allow the industry time to
lobby.

 Under the Commission's proposals, permissible levels of tar would be cut
from 12mg to 10mg a cigarette and a limit would be set for carbon monoxide
for the first time, also at 10mg.

 Manufacturers would have to cover a quarter of packs with "smoking kills"
or "smoking can kill" warnings printed in black and white. Descriptor
terms such as "light" and "mild" would be banned unless specifically
authorised by individual governments.

 The industry's chief concern appears to be a requirement that content
rules apply to exported cigarettes.

 This, it says, would put E6.5bn in trade and 8,000 EU jobs at risk, and
is unjustified.

 Ceccm argues that some of the other proposals in the directive would
distort markets.

 Insisting on black and white labels would, for example, be
discriminatory, causing more difficulties for some manufacturers than
others, depending on existing packet colours.

 Jules Maaten, a Dutch MEP who prepared the report on which parliament
will vote, says the industry's "positive" approach has influenced his and
others' thinking.

 "I have followed some of their suggestions," he says, citing his backing
for an industry proposal on additives analysis. Mr Maaten also wants the
content controls on exports delayed until 2006.

 But the overall thrust of his and other MEPs' suggestions is to tighten
the Commission's proposals. One would increase the proportion of the
cigarette packs covered by health warnings to 40 per cent on the front and
50 per cent on the back. Another would ban descriptors altogether.

 Next week's debate, however, is just the start. Assuming MEPs take a vote
as planned, the directive would go to government health ministers meeting
later in the month before going back to parliament and then returning to
health ministers again, perhaps later in the year. Finally a compromise
would emerge.

 It may not get that far. The ban on tobacco advertising was approved by
the smallest yes vote permissible under EU rules after four countries
including Germany and Spain withheld their support.

 Supporters of tighter controls think the tide of opinion has turned
against the tobacco industry since then but they are taking nothing for
granted.

 "We are in for a long, hard fight," said one EU official supporting
tighter controls. "And so are the manufacturers."