Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-11-Speech-1-063"
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"en.20001211.3.1-063"2
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"Mr President, whilst one cannot but laud the good intentions of Members who support this directive, I should point out that the prohibition on the manufacture of tobacco above EU limits will have a significant effect on jobs in my region. In particular, I refer to the British-American Tobacco plant in Southampton, which produces all its cigarettes for the non-EU market. With the advent of this directive, the manufacturers will not be able to produce these cigarettes, even though the EU limits do not, of course, apply to their markets.
However, this does not mean that these cigarettes will not be manufactured. The company concerned, BAT, will transfer production to non-EU countries. So, instead of exporting cigarettes we will be exporting jobs – 4 000 of them in my region alone. Yet, ironically, I do not see in this directive any prohibition on growing tobacco within the Community – even when in countries such as Greece the tobacco grown is so strong that under this directive it would become a criminal offence to use it for manufacturing.
A Community which subsidises this tobacco-growing and then makes it unlawful to sell it, whilst destroying jobs and the lives of ordinary people who rely on revenue from goods which are not even sold in the Community, cannot gain the respect of ordinary people.
Whatever you think of this directive, please support my amendment tomorrow which takes out the prohibition on manufacturing for non-EU export. This directive will have no health benefits whatsoever outside the EU. It is a classic symptom of political correctness gone mad."@en1
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