Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-23-Speech-2-385"
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"en.20071023.27.2-385"2
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"Mr President, I should like to thank the Members for a very interesting debate. It was good to hear different views. I must say that I am very happy that the majority supports smoking bans and all the other measures that promote smoking prevention.
This is not a theoretical discussion. I know there were concerns a few years ago and, because this is a new debate, concerns are still being expressed. However, we now have some experience and we know that it works, and we know that it does not lead to smoking somewhere else. There is now a reduction in the number of smokers and smoking-related problems and, at the same time, we have seen that it has not affected certain sectors of the economy where there was a worry. So we can draw on those experiences and explain to Member States – and even Members of this Parliament – who are reluctant what the benefits are and how effective they can be.
Concerning the issue of ingredients and additives, we are working on this. We are taking very seriously into account Parliament’s position. Mr Florenz has been nagging me on this for the past few years. We are proceeding with that, but it needs a lot of work because the directive, as originally adopted, was not functional. So now we are trying to streamline the provision of information, and we will proceed with the assessment of the risks involved.
Concerning illegal and illicit trade, we are working within the context of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and are currently working a protocol to control that trade. The European Union is very active in this respect, and will remain so.
I again want to emphasise that we are not acting against smokers, and agree with those who have made that point. On the contrary, all these measures will benefit smokers as well.
I know the issue of ‘snus’ is a sensitive one for one Member State. However, I have to say, first of all, that the case of Holland is totally different because that Member State did not ask for a derogation, as Sweden did. However, at the same time – and I would be happy to have a more thorough discussion on this – snus is not a safe alternative. It is just as dangerous, as it causes different forms of cancer and different forms of illnesses.
Very soon, at the beginning of next year, we will have all the evidence. I am actually quoting Swedish experts. So it is not a question of the rest of the European Union, which is not using it, showing prejudice. I am quoting Swedish experts who have shown me a huge pile of evidence in this respect. Snus might not cause lung cancer, because it is not inhaled, but it has effects and causes problems. At the same time, there is no evidence that it can be effective as a tobacco-control or smoking-control measure. I would therefore be very reluctant in this area, and really doubt there is any scientific evidence allowing this.
However, I have to say that I can see a tremendous effort on the part of the tobacco industry, because it now feels threatened by smoke-free policies, to promote snus. We should be cautious in this respect, because it could cause other problems and it could be expanded and promoted in an aggressive commercial way. I would be very reluctant to change the status quo as it stands today in the European Union, and we have the judgment of the European Court of Justice to support us in this respect.
In conclusion, I should like to thank all the Members again for this very interesting debate. I take note of those who support and those who are against the Commission’s policies. It is very important for us to hear all your views. I shall be having a more thorough discussion with you in the near future – next year – with a specific proposal from the Commission based on the discussion today.
First of all, we must not forget that the main target is to protect young people. Do not forget that that new ideas come up all the time. The new fashion now is to promote smoking among young girls as a weight-control measure. All means are being employed to promote smoking, so we have to be imaginative and comprehensive in our response.
I understand that some Members are reluctant for the Commission or the Community to take measures. They say that we should wait for Member States to play their part. As I have said, we are now in the process of examining and studying what the next step should be at European level.
However, I must say that, even though the trend is very encouraging – over the last few years there has been a tremendous increase in countries introducing very comprehensive restrictions – the longer we wait to take measures, the more people die. We must not forget that. It is a very important factor.
There is the issue of subsidiarity, but subsidiarity does not mean doing. Nor does Article 152 mean that we should just sit back and watch people die. It means that we should complement, support, encourage and even legislate when it is necessary. We do have the legal basis – we have the opinion on that. So it is a matter of a policy decision, not a legal decision. That is something we will be working on.
As I have said from the beginning, what is important for us is how we can best achieve results, not the legal instruments we employ to do so. Do not forget that the new Treaty, agreed just two or three days ago, specifically mentions the European Union’s involvement in the tobacco issue. That should be borne in mind as well.
The Commission’s Green Paper refers mostly to a smoke-free environment, and the debate mainly focused on that area. However, that is just one measure. We have to take a series of measures to achieve our goal. We need a smoking ban, which I will come back to in a minute; advertising bans, which we already have; warnings and pictorial warnings, which we have covered; and also educational campaigns.
It is true that this is a lifestyle choice, and that people will eventually make their choice. However, we have to help them take their decision based on the true facts and, in a way, counterbalance the aggressive marketing techniques of the tobacco industry, which is spending billions of euros. We have to be able to advise and explain the problems to people, and also give them incentives not to smoke or to give up smoking. That is a very important area.
Concerning smoking ban exceptions, these are better than having no ban at all. I accept that. However, the fact is that this will not make things as effective as with a comprehensive smoking ban, with this being not only for the protection of passive smokers, as I have already said, but also an incentive for smokers to quit and a disincentive for non-smokers not to begin smoking. We should not undermine that. It is not strange that the majority of smokers also support the introduction of smoking bans, because they want to smoke when they decide to and not to have to breathe everybody else’s smoke."@en1
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