Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-16-Speech-2-173"
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"en.19991116.9.2-173"2
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"Today the Commission also adopted a proposal for a very important directive on tobacco. It is the end of a long consultation process involving the Council and Parliament. Essentially it provides for the following: a lowering of current tar content in cigarettes; the introduction for the first time of a limit on nicotine content in cigarettes; the introduction of limits on carbon monoxide; improved and bigger labels on cigarette packs on the dangers of smoking and on the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content of cigarettes; controls on the misleading use of descriptions such as ‘mild’ and ‘low tar’ etc.; and new safeguards on additives to tobacco.
The case for such a directive is clear. The Community has very important public health obligations, especially since the ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty. These include the obligation to ensure a high level of health protection in all Community policies and activities. Smoking kills half a million citizens in the European Union each year and is the single, biggest, preventable cause of death. We must therefore be seen to take strong measures to tackle the problem.
The directive, when adopted, will provide European smokers with the highest level of protection in the developed world. They will be better informed of what is in their cigarettes and of the dangers of smoking. They will also be afforded protection by the measures to limit tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels. However, the directive is also proportionate. We have been careful not to stigmatise smokers. We need to avoid being over-prescriptive and interfering in citizens’ day-to-day lives. The aim instead is to put in place a framework, where there is full information on tobacco and its dangers. This will complement the Community ban on tobacco advertising which will combat industry-led efforts to attract new smokers, especially young people.
The combination of these measures should ensure that smoking will be a much less contentious issue in the future. I am hopeful that Parliament will support the Commission’s proposal under the codecision procedure in the forthcoming negotiations."@en1
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