Last week a crucial vote in the European Parliament on a revision of the EU’s tobacco legislation was suddenly postponed by the Parliament’s political group leaders; at the request of the European People’s Party (EPP), the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) and the European Conservatives and Reformist Group (ECR): a centre-right bloc. The vote in the EP Plenary had been agreed amongst all groups at the beginning of this year for September 10. The decision by the group leaders to postpone this vote came only 6 days before the scheduled date and without any convincing argumentation. It raised many eyebrows in Brussels.
Green’s co-president Rebecca Harms hit out at the postponement, saying that the centre-right political groups had ‘shamelessly’ done the bidding of the tobacco industry, which employs over 100 full-time lobbyists in Brussels. Ms. Harms also said: ‘it is scandalous that the centre-right in this house seems to be more concerned about the profits of the tobacco industry than public health’. The postponement ‘is a cynical exercise designed to buy time for the tobacco lobby with a view to watering down the draft legislation and to undermine the strong position adopted by the EP public health committee’, she continued.
Since the first tobacco legislation was introduced in the 1980s it has been further developed in areas such as product regulation, advertising and consumer protection, but it has also often rocked the chair of European politicians. In no other political area has the heavy hand of lobbyist been more present than in tobacco legislation. The last victim a year ago was the Maltese Commissioner (Health and Consumer Policy) Dalli; who, while handling the new tobacco legislation, had to resign following an OLAF (the EU anti-corruption watch dog) report. Commission President Barroso and his cabinet played a dim and never elucidated role in this unpalatable affair. He and also OLAF never properly answered questions of MEPs: the usual arrogance of power in Brussels…
THE WEEK THAT WAS... (September 9, 2013)
EBR Chief-editor’s Monday Morning Column. This week N. Peter Kramer writes about "EP more concerned about profits of tobacco industry than public health?
Since the first tobacco legislation was introduced in the 1980s it has been further developed in areas such as product regulation, advertising and consumer protection, but it has also often rocked the chair of European politicians. In no other political area has the heavy hand of lobbyist been more present than in tobacco legislation.
By: N. Peter Kramer
