[Intl-tobacco] EU Lawmakers To Discuss Laws On Tobacco Mktg, Sales Mon

[Robert Weissman]

EU Lawmakers To Discuss Laws On Tobacco Mktg, Sales Mon
by Eric R. Drosin / Dow Jones Newswires; 32-478-324-585;
eric.drosin@dowjones.com
Source: The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, Friday, 12/8/00

BRUSSELS -- European Union lawmakers will Monday begin debating measures
to cut the marketing and sales of cigarettes across the Union.

But some of the measures include industry-friendly proposals, following
Dutch liberal Jules Maaten's report that amended the E.U. Commission's
original proposals.

With a final vote on the measures expected Wednesday, Maaten said he was
"confident a qualified majority can be reached" to push the package
through.

The amended proposals include an increase in the size of health warnings
on cigarette packs. The warnings would cover 30% of the front surface area
and 40% of the back, an increase over the Commission's original proposal
of 25% of the surface area.

The proposed directive would also allow member states to ban substances
that increase addiction, such as ammonia, and allow member states to use
taxation as a form of "tobacco control."

"We had good co-operation with tobacco firms," which led to the inclusion
of several industry-friendly proposals in the report, Maaten said. These
include increased harmonization of rules, such as an E.U.-wide recognition
of tobacco test results, and ensuring that toxicological data tests aren't
obligatory, which would protect small- and medium-sized tobacco
enterprises "for whom these tests are unaffordable," said Maaten.

Perhaps most importantly, the report recommends an extension of the
deadline to implement the measures to 2006, "allowing the tobacco industry
the (necessary)  time," Maaten added.

But Wilfried Dembach, chairman of CECCM, which represents cigarette
manufacturers, said that the proposals on export restrictions "weren't
operable," and that greater harmonization was needed.

He added that while the tobacco industry had worked closely with the
Commission and Parliament on the issue, there was only "limited success"
in applying technically workable rules on tobacco sales and marketing.

The tobacco product directive would replace previous directives, and
reduce the maximum permissible amount of tar per cigarette to 10 mg from
12 mg, and cut the maximum amount of nicotine to 1 mg and the amount of
carbon monoxide to 10 mg.

Cigarette makers will also be banned from using terms such as "mild" and
"light" on cigarette packs.

The Commission's directives on curbing tobacco sales have met with limited
success. The European Court of Justice Oct. 5 overturned an E.U. ban on
tobacco advertising on legal grounds.

The court found against the Commission's argument that it banned tobacco
advertising and sponsorship in order to harmonize rules within the single
market.

The court ruled in cases brought by Germany and by tobacco producers
including Imperial Tobacco Ltd. (ITY), which claimed that the legislation
was designed to protect public health and that the Commission was not
allowed to do this.

Following the parliament's vote on Wednesday, the resulting proposals will
then be sent to E.U. health ministers for approval.


URL for this Article:
http://interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=DI-CO-20001208-004630.djml