Smoke free partnership

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 6

Sam — 2010-02-04T09:00:55Z

The sixth issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC focuses on Article 15 and the proposed Protocol, which will aim to legally commit the Parties to take action against the global illicit trade of tobacco products.

On 1 February 2010, the Smoke Free Partnership organised a seminar in the European Parliament (Brussels) on combating the global illicit trade in tobacco and the consequences for Europe and Africa. The importance of negotiating a strong Protocol at the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB4) in Geneva in March was the main focus.

The speakers were Austin Rowan (Head of Unit, Task Group Cigarettes, at the Commission's Anti-Fraud Office [OLAF]), Dr Michael Anibueze (Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria), Luk Joossens (International expert in illicit tobacco trade) and Ian Willmore (Framework Convention Alliance).

The seminar was hosted by Bart Staes MEP.

Please click here to see coverage of the event on the New Europe website.

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 5

Sam — 2010-02-03T16:35:43Z

The fifth issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC focuses on tobacco and development policy as well as Articles 22 and 26, which cover technical assistance and financial resources respectively.

This latest edition of the 'Spotlight on the FCTC' series examines how the EU and its Member States can continue to take a leading role, by supporting and promoting collaboration in the scientific, technical and legal fields. Through its multilateral and bilateral programmes, the EU and Member States can provide the technical assistance, and financial resources, to help reduce the burden of disease caused by smoking in the very poorest areas of the world.

Tobacco use is on the rise in the developing world, impacting heavily on Africa, as well as countries such as India, China, Bangladesh and Brazil, who often lack the necessary resources, expertise and finances to adequately combat the problem.

Please see here for the SFP response to the Consultation on the EU's role in Global Health.

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 4

margarida — 2009-01-20T15:39:55Z

The fourth issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC focuses on the European Commission proposals to amend EU Directives on the rates and structure of taxes on manufactured cigarettes.

In July 2008 the European Commission published a proposal updating current EU rules on the taxation of tobacco products. In this edition of Spotlight, the SFP aims to explain the background to the proposals, the legislative procedure that will be followed at EU level and, most importantly, why tobacco taxation is one of the most effective and efficient methods to reduce smoking rates.

Smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable death in the EU, with 650,000 smoking-related deaths each year. The World Bank argues that, on economic grounds alone, tobacco should be controlled, and estimates that, when all costs of tobacco around the world are subtracted from all benefits, the net result is a global economic loss of US$200 billion each year. Furthermore, the cost to the EU of tobacco-related disease is estimated at €100 billion – 1% of the EU's GDP, a sum almost equivalent to the entire EU budget.

Tobacco taxes are successful in reducing smoking levels as they:
Motivate smokers to quit and young people not to start using tobacco
Reduce the impact of second-hand smoke on non-smokers
Are effective immediately
Impose only minimum cost on the government
Increase government revenue
Reduce health inequalities as they particularly motivate poorer socio-economic groups to quit or smoke less

Source: Howard Barnum, The economic burden of the global trade in tobacco, Tobacco control, 1994; European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 3

margarida — 2008-08-11T13:45:03Z

The third issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC focused on the role of article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in protecting public policy from tobacco industry influence.

The aim of Article 5.3 of the FCTC is to ensure that policies can be put into practice without interference from an industry whose primarily goal is to keep people smoking, in order to generate profit.

On July 15, the Smokefree Partnership organised a seminar in the European Parliament (Brussels) on the role of article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC in protecting public policy from tobacco industry influence and to launch the third issue of the ‘Spotlight on FCTC'

Speakers included Mrs Androulla Vassilou (EU Commissioner for Health), Dr Anna Gilmore (University of Bath), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi (Environmental Rights Action's Manager in Lagos, Nigeria) and Mrs Jeanne King (Smokefree Partnership).

The seminar was hosted by Mrs Avril Doyle, MEP.

Seminar on ‘The role of article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in protecting public policy from tobacco industry influence'

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 2

margarida — 2008-08-08T12:56:11Z

This second issue of "Spotlight on the FCTC" highlights how the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States have met, or in some cases failed to meet, their obligations to tackle second-hand smoke, according to Article 8 of the convention.

Less than a third of the EU Member States have introduced fully comprehensive smokefree legislation, three years after the world's first public health treaty on tobacco control – the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – introduced the need for protecting employees from the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke.

The second issue of "Spotlight on the FCTC" reveals how only nine of the 25 EU Member States that have signed and ratified the WHO treaty have so far introduced comprehensive smokefree legislation, leaving over half of Europe's workforce exposed to second-hand smoke.

Press release: Brussels, 4 April 2008 - Half of the Europe's workforce remains unprotected

Spotlight on the FCTC, issue 1

margarida — 2008-08-08T12:29:53Z

What does the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) mean for the EU? If you want to find out, read the first issue of a series of briefings “Spotlight on the FCTC”. The briefing is available in 17 EU languages.

The first briefing paper "Spotlight on the FCTC” was launched on January 30 at a cocktail reception in the European Parliament, Brussels. The event was hosted by Linda McAvan MEP and was also be attended by key MEPS, Commission officials and national attaches.

What is the FCTC? The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was developed in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic and was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2003. It was the world's first international public health treaty and has since been ratified by 151 countries, making it one of the fastest ever treaties on any subject to be ratified and to enter into force. Of the 27 EU countries, 25 have ratified, along with the entire Western Pacific WHO region, 40 out of the 54 AFRO countries, and 7 Caribbean countries. The FCTC identifies key interventions that will bring down smoking prevalence if enacted and aims to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. In particular, the FCTC aims to ensure that tobacco manufacturers cannot take advantage of less strict regulatory environments in the developing world. The WHO FCTC negotiations have already begun a process that has resulted in visible differences at national level, but the continued success of the FCTC as a tool for public health will depend on the energy and political commitment of national governments and international bodies such as the EU over the coming years. We hope that the Spotlight on the FCTC briefings, by informing policy makers of their obligations, will spark off initiatives to drive forward the implementation of the FCTC at European, national and local levels, so that the Convention becomes a concrete reality.

Translations and launch of the Spotlight