Two EU member states have scrutinised the EU Commission’s push for a wide-ranging smoking ban in outdoor areas, complaining that not enough time has been allocated for a proper debate on the (dubious) claims being made, especially concerning passive smoking.
Italian and Romanian officials stressed in a joint statement to the Council of the European Union that they “agree on the importance of taking appropriate actions to prevent risks associated with smoking,” but have been left disappointed by the way measures have been pushed forward.
The procedure applied for the discussion and approval of this Act by the Council required better timing and methods to enable proper debate among member states. Similarly, we regret that many significant comments and amendments proposed by member states were not adequately considered and included in the text.
They also took particular aim at plans—reported here—to clear public spaces, such as outside workplaces, of all ‘smoke aerosols,’ including heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, saying that they “lack a robust scientific basis and adequate impact assessment.”
Furthermore, officials said the overly-broad scope of new proposals will generate “potential uncertainty about their meaning and proper implementation.”
“Pro harm reduction” campaign group Clearing the Air described the document’s language as “unusually strong … for diplomatic communications.” It added that the European Parliament will likely vote on new rules next week.
World Vapers’ Alliance director Michael Landl said it was “great” to see both Italy and Romania “standing up” to the Council over its pursuit of smokers, adding:
Their call for robust scientific evidence highlights the importance of informed policy-making and exposes the EU’s misguided approach.
The statement will be included in the minutes of an upcoming meeting of the EU’s employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs council (EPSCO).
