Smoking bans and the EU
Monday, October 18, 2010 Some of you may recall what happened when I attended a meeting in March 2008 of "EU experts, civil society and social partners to support the Commission's Impact Assessment on the forthcoming initiative on smoke-free environments".
I wrote about it HERE and my experience caused a bit of a stir. (I was chucked out of the meeting following a complaint by anti-tobacco campaigners who didn't want me to hear what they had to say.) Iain Dale, for example, linked to my post HERE.
Nineteen months on and I have been alerted to the fact that there is to be a further meeting of stakeholders organised by the same department "as part of the Impact Assessment on the possible revision of the Tobacco Products Directive 2001/37/EC".
According to an email I have seen:
The intention of this meeting is to have an open discussion and get your comments on the study "Assessing the Impacts of Revising the Tobacco Products Directive" prepared by RAND Europe. The study is available on our website.
Please note that there will be no further written consultation on this study and we expect to get your comments during the meeting.
I have now emailed three different people requesting an invitation to the meeting. As yet, no invitation, not even a reply.
I'll persist but if they welcome me back after last time I'll be surprised.
Update: I have just received a reply. My request to attend the meeting has been turned down. I have replied as follows: will the consumer be represented at the meeting and, if not, is it reasonable to assess the impacts of revising the Tobacco Products Directive without involving the consumer?
Simon Clark
Several bloggers have been commenting on and re-posting reports that suggest that the European Commission is preparing a pan-European smoking ban similar to Ireland and the UK.
Clearly this is the long-term goal of anti-smoking campaigners not just in Europe but worldwide, but I am told that the story currently doing the rounds was based on an article (Commission preparing pan-European smoking ban) that "mistranslated and misunderstood an interview by Commissioner John Dalli (member of the European Commission, responsible for Health and Consumer Policy) in a German newspaper.
I am told that what Dalli actually said was that:
(1) the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (which he does not head) is consulting social partners to consider an initiative regarding risks linked to exposure to tobacco smoke at the place of work, a process which may [my italics] lead to a legislative initiative on the grounds of health and safety at work.
(2) he personally supports an EU-wide smoking ban without exemptions
From this journalists (and bloggers) have jumped to the conclusion that a pan-European smoking ban is just around the corner.
In fact, in a recent answer to a Parliamentary question, Dalli admitted that the EU is unlikely to have the power to adopt an EU-wide smoking ban. Furthermore, the second consultation of the social partners on the risks related to exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace has been postponed to summer 2011.
Make of that what you will but as far as smoking in public places is concerned I am informed that, EU-wise, there is nothing new to report.
Simon Clark
News in from Greece: Restaurant owners to defy smoking ban
Reader Comments (5)
I would not trust the EU further than I could throw them, I am sure Dalli will have a go.
Anyway now for some good news the Danish Health Minister Bertel Haarder has questioned the harm of passive smoking.
Denmark’s Minister for Health Bertel Haarder (Lib) – somewhat against his will - has questioned whether passive smoking is, in fact, harmful.
“I do not believe that passive smoking is dangerous. I am a non-believer in that theory,” Haarder is quoted as saying after taking part in a hearing on smoking in Copenhagen.
http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1081944/health-minister-questions-passive-smoking/
Yes he did state the obvious that anyone with two brain cells can work out.
Problem is he tried to step back from it.
Just goes to show how powerfull the anti smoking movement is now.
Loads of money in the lying business obviously.
Just for some more toe curling hypocrisy the EU under CAP subsides European tobacco producers. Also the EU does not believe in the harm of passive smoking, remember the case of Mario Labate who was an EU employee for 27 years and died of lung cancer. His wife sued for an occupational pension based on the fact she alleged he contracted it from working at the EU. Their judgement was:
"While acknowledging Mr Labate's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke and finding no other cause for his lung cancer, the Medical Committee in its decision nonetheless stated that it could not establish with certainty the> connection with his professional activities. The Commission accordingly denied the request, following the finding by the Medical Committee that the connection between the disease and Mr Labate's professional activities was not sufficiently established."
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:223:0022:0022:EN:PDF>
I wish someone would investigate and do a 'report' on the word 'expert' and give us transparancy on what qualifies these wankers in the EU to call themselves 'experts'.
This world wide ban caper is just typical of their scaremongering tactics to get a reaction to see how strong or weak the response will be.
Its also a way of giving a meaning to their non jobsworth existence and to justify their massive salaries and expense accounts, which incidentally has recently been increased by 85%!
The devil makes work for idle hands to do.
Thanks for flagging up Iain Dale's article from 2008, Simon. I found a perfect comment for my catalogue of anti-smoking psychotics.
It's been added to the list. :)