[Intl-tobacco] EU warns Italy and Hungary over tobacco ads - Budapest Sun/Reuters/IOL

[robert weissman]

EU warns Italy and Hungary over tobacco ads
Budapest Sun/Reuters/IOL

July 20 2006

Brussels - The European Union's executive branch warned Italy and Hungary on
Wednesday to fix their laws on tobacco advertising or face legal action before the
bloc's highest court.

The European Commission sent them "reasoned opinions", the final step before going
to the European Court of Justice, saying they had incorrectly implemented an EU
tobacco advertising law by allowing exemptions for rules that ban sponsorships.

"The Commission is clear that there can be no derogation from the directive's ban on
tobacco sponsorship for cross-border events, whether it's for Formula One or for
other events," Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said in
a statement.

The countries have two months to comply with the Commission's request, it said,
otherwise they would be taken to court.

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