The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in the European Parliament decided on the shape of the tobacco directive. MEPs do not want to limit the sale of menthol cigarettes, but backed the ban on selling slim cigarettes.
51 MEPs were in favor of this solution, 12 were against and 8 abstained.
The draft tobacco directive also assumes that 75 percent. the surface of cigarette packets will have to comply with visual and verbal health warnings (including, for example, pictures of internal organs damaged by cancer).
The vote in the parliamentary committee has not yet completed work on the directive. In September, the entire European Parliament will speak on the new regulations. On the other hand, the final shape of the tobacco directive will be decided jointly in negotiations by deputies and representatives of EU countries.
– Not good, we expected it to be better. We defended not smoking, but the real interests of Polish growers and industry at stake. We produce a lot of slimes and menthol cigarettes. Poland is a tycoon here – commented MEP Tadeusz Cymański (Solidarna Polska).
Polish MEPs argued that the ban on the production and sale of popular slimes would have a negative impact on the economic situation of Poland and would be a threat to one third of the tobacco market.
Poland is the largest producer of finished tobacco products and the second largest producer of tobacco in the EU. There are 6 factories in our country that employ 6 people. people. Tobacco grows 14,5 thousand. farms and 70 percent. of production is exported. In 2012, the value of exports amounted to PLN 1 billion, which means that the sales of the tobacco industry account for 36 percent. the value of agri-food exports.
– For me, this is an action against the Polish industry – said MEP Jolanta Hibner (PO) after the vote. – But don’t wring your hands, we’re still in the game. Even if the EP in the plenary vote supports some of the provisions of the directives that are unfavorable for Poland, it will still be possible to fight at the forum of the EU Council – summed up Hibner.
According to the European Commission, it is not true that Europeans are against the proposed new directive. This is indicated by the Eurobarometer survey from 2012, which shows that as much as 76 percent. of EU citizens support the display of pictorial warnings about smoking; 73% is in favor of placing additional security on packages to limit counterfeiting of cigarettes, even if it would increase their price, and 63 percent. supports the ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes. The European Commission argues that smoking kills nearly 700 people every year. people in Europe.
Sources: PAP / TVN24
Author: Tomasz Kobosz
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