Smoke free partnership

World No Tobacco Day 2010 | Setting the EU tobacco control agenda and celebrating the 'Pledge'

Sam — 2010-05-18T15:38:47Z

On 31 May, the Smoke Free Partnership organised an event in the European Parliament, Brussels, to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2010.

The conference provided an opportunity to acknowledge MEPs that are signatories to the Tobacco Free Europe campaign, to mark the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to which the EU and all but one Member State are signatories, and to celebrate The Year of The Lung.

Finally, with a new European Parliament and Commission in place and tobacco legislation now in preparation, the Smoke Free Partnership took this opportunity to reflect on the future of tobacco control at European level.

Hosted by:

Frieda Brepoels MEP
Ryszard Czarnecki MEP
Linda McAvan MEP

Speakers and Panelists:

John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy
Dr. Nedret Emiroglu, WHO EURO Director of Division
Florence Berteletti Kemp, Director - Smoke Free Partnership
Rob Cunningham, International expert on tobacco health warnings - Canadian Cancer Society
Fiona Godfrey, Regional and Legal Advisor, Europe - International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Prof. Gerard Hastings, Director - Institute for Social Marketing (UK)
Andrew Hayes, Past President - European Public Health Alliance
Luk Joossens, Advocacy Officer - Association of European Cancer Leagues
Nicola McFadyen, Youth Advocate, W-West (Why Waste Everything Smoking Tobacco)
Dr. Karine Gallopel Morvan, Associate Professor in Social Marketing - Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Rennes 1
Prof. Nikos Siafakas, President - European Respiratory Society
Natasha Toropova, Advocacy Coordinator in Ukraine - Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Jean King, Cancer Research UK

This event is part of the Tobacco Free Europe Campaign initiative. The Tobacco Free Europe Campaign is committed to transparency about its funding which comes from the Smoke Free Partnership, the European Heart Network, the European Cancer Leagues, the European Respiratory Society, and the European Network for Smoking Prevention, as well as from unrestricted educational grants from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis.

Conference Material

1. World No Tobacco Day - 31 May - Final Programme

2. World No Tobacco Day - 31 May - Official Press Release

Please see below for some of the pictures from our event:

A gallery of images of the event is also available by clicking here

Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) Briefing Notes for INB-4

Sam — 2010-03-05T15:19:29Z
Please see here the FCA briefing notes, ahead of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on a Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, 14-21 March 2010, Geneva. - Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

European Parliament Event: 'EU Better Regulation: from economic to citizen-centric?'

2010-02-23T12:18:34Z

In the European Parliament, Brussels, on 24 February 2010, the Smoke Free Partnership organised an event on the EU Better Regulation agenda, where a ground-breaking report on industry interference into policy-making processes was launched.

Please find below the research report, press release, event report, recommendations and the photographs from "EU Better Regulation: from economic to citizen-centric".

1. The Origin of EU Better Regulation - The Disturbing Truth

2. EU Better Regulation: Press Release

3. EU Better Regulation: Event Report

4. EU Better Regulation: Recommendations

European Parliament Seminar on Combating the Global Illicit Trade in Tobacco and the consequences for Europe and Africa

Sam — 2010-02-18T15:49:13Z

On 1 February 2010, the Smoke Free Partnership organised an event in the European Parliament in Brussels on the global illicit trade in tobacco.

The objective of the seminar was to provide an outline of the crucial discussions that will take place at the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Body meeting (INB4) in Geneva in March 2010, where the final negotiations will take place on the Illicit Trade Protocol, a subsidiary treaty to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). There was a discussion as to how the EU can impact on the negotiations, with a special reference to the problems specific to Africa.

The fifth and sixth issues in the ‘Spotlight on the FCTC' series, which cover tobacco and development policy and the illicit tobacco trade respectively, were launched.

The seminar brought together 70 participants including Members of the European Parliament, senior officials from the European Commission, representatives from the Member States, and public health and tobacco experts.

Present on the panel were Austin Rowan, Head of Unit at the European Commission's Task Group Cigarettes, European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF); Dr. Michael Anibueze, Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria; Luk Joossens, International Expert on the Illicit Tobacco Trade and Ian Willmore, Framework Convention Alliance.

The event was hosted by Bart Staes MEP, Vice Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control.

Please see below for the full report plus speaker PowerPoint presentations.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)

margarida — 2009-01-20T15:32:13Z

The SFP works with policy makers at EU level to ensure that tobacco control receives adequate political attention and increased resources at global level.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the world's first international public health treaty and was developed in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic. The Convention establishes a minimum standard for action on tobacco control.

It has been ratified by 168 Parties, as of March 2010.

The SFP follows the FCTC policy developments and implementation very closely and it produces briefing papers called “Spotlight on the FCTC”.

The first issue was launched on January 30, 2008 in the European Parliament, Brussels, and explains what the WHO FCTC means for the EU.

The second issue 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.

The third issue focuses on the role of FCTC Article 5.3 in protecting public policy from tobacco industry influence.

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

The fifth issue covers tobacco and development policy as well as FCTC Articles 22 and 26, which focus on technical assistance and financial resources respectively.

The sixth issue focuses on FCTC 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.

Workshop on Taxation and Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products

Isabell — 2009-01-13T13:57:00Z

The Smokefree Partnership, together with its partners and the Association of European Cancer Leagues, organised a two-day workshop in Leuven, Belgium on September 3 and 4, 2008.

**The advocacy toolkit is now available here.**

The Smokefree Partnership, together with its partners and the Association of European Cancer Leagues, organised a two-day workshop in Leuven, Belgium September 3 and 4, 2008. The workshop also received an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis and Pfizer.

The overall aim of the meeting was to present the new proposal of the European Commission on taxation of tobacco products and to provide participants with information on smuggling and illicit trade, and outline the need for a strong protocol on illicit trade of tobacco products.

The workshop brought together over 50 participants working on tobacco control, including key leading experts on taxation and smuggling, the European Commission, tobacco control advocates as well as Health and Finance Ministries. The workshop offered an opportunity to provide participants with much-needed training on taxation and smuggling issues, and provided information on upcoming opportunities for action.

The broad range of participants and different types of expertise led to a lively discussion and participants agreed it was a very useful event. The discussions at the workshop and various presentations pave the way for the development of an advocacy toolkit on taxation.

For further information about the Commission proposal and taxation of tobacco products please check the fourth issue of the Spotlight.

Thank you for viewing these presentations. We would like to remind you that these materials are the property of the authors. They are provided to you by SFP for your personal use only, as submitted by the authors.

Consensus seminar on tobacco and nicotine product regulation

Nicky — 2009-01-12T13:57:54Z

On the 3rd and 4th May in Leuven, Belgium, the Smokefree Partnership, together with the EHN and CNCT, organised a consensus seminar on tobacco and nicotine product regulation. The seminar was endorsed by ENSP.

The Smokefree Partnership, together with the EHN and the CNCT, held a two-day seminar in Leuven on 3rd and 4th May 2007.

The seminar, entitled "Consensus seminar on tobacco and nicotine product regulation", brought together over 50 members of the tobacco and scientific communities working on tobacco control throughout Europe. The seminar was an opportunity to reflect on recent achievements in tobacco ocntrol, in spite of numerous obstacles and challenges, and to explore what consensus can be achieved by mutual exchange.

The consensus statement produced by the seminar provides a useful basis for tobacco control advocates to talk to European policy makers. The statement begins with the status quo on tobacco control, indicates where there are gaps in the evidence base and sets out a common vision on where tobacco control at the European level should be within the 15 years. Several key milestones are identified in the statement and the next step should be to develop a road map on how to achieve the vision.

Smoke Free Places Workshop, Bratislava, 17 April 2007

Wolfgang — 2009-01-11T13:58:00Z

On 17th April, The Smoke Free Partnership organized a workshop entitled Smoke Free Places as part of the EPHA Conference Health in the Enlarged EU . The workshop was endorsed by the ENSP and the EHN.

On 17th April, The Smoke Free Partnership organized a workshop entitled Smoke Free Places as part of the EPHA Conference Health in the Enlarged EU . The workshop was endorsed by the ENSP and the EHN.

The workshop was designed to bring together national tobacco control advocates/coalitions and advocates from the general public health community to discuss the need for and assess the prospects of further smoke-free campaigns and collaboration in their own countries; to go over the rationale for 100% smoke-free policies and the main scientific argument (the proven danger of passive smoking - smoke-free legislation is health and safety legislation and to update participants on the development of guidelines on Article 8 FCTC

The event started with a brainstorm on participant's perceptions of “Smoke Free Places” which highlighted the participants' high level of understanding of the concept.

Four complementary presentations were made, combining NGO ‘know-how”, expertise on effective smoke free campaign at national level (Aurelijus Veryga from the Tobacco control coalition in Lithuania, ENSP), governmental standpoints on how to create a successful environment for the introduction of smoke free laws (Dr Vesna-Kerstin Petric, Ministry of Health, Directorate for Public Health, Slovenia), international update and call for action regarding Article 8 and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) (Fiona Godfrey, ERS Policy Adviser) and how to build strong, competent and strategic smoke free coalition at national level (Elspeth Lee, Tobacco control manager, Cancer Research UK).

Lesson learnt and recommendations from the presentation by Aurelijus Veryga:

1. The fact that the smoke-free legislation was based on health and safety legislation proved crucial to have public backing.

2. The campaign was vital for success (elements included press conferences, media coverage).

3. Industry opposition should not be underestimated; in Lithuania, provisions concerning cigar clubs were introduced by the industry out of the blue at the last moment and their “surprise tactic” meant that NGOs had difficulty to react.

Lesson learnt and recommendations from the presentation by Vesna Petric:

1. Assess the situation. Be aware of strengths and weaknesses.

2. Build and plan capacity.

3. Develop partnerships with the media.

4. Use opportunities and adapt to new circumstances.

5. Monitor public opinion.

Lesson learnt and recommendations from the presentation by Fiona Godfrey:

Effective enforcement is key to smoke Free legislation Each year, World No Tobacco Day is held on May 31st. The theme for this year's World No Tobacco Day is Smokefree Environments. This provides us with a unique opportunity to raise awareness around smokefree issues. 3. If you are thinking of launching a campaign on smoke free in your country or want to give it a push, plan and prepare for World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2007. This could be an excellent opportunity to make the case for effective smokefree policies in your country.

Voices Campaign, a Global Voices Report will be released on WNTD. The report will be the first global status report on smokefree air and will make the case for country implementation of strong smokefree policies. It will highlight regional “voices” of governmental officials and NGOs working on smokefree policies. It is important for your organisations to support the Global Voices Campaign for the strongest guidelines at COP-2 in Bangkok (July 2007). To help with your campaign around WNTD and Smoke Free, the Global Voices Campaign team will also prepare a Swiss cheese press release and a letter to the editor which you can make use of and adapt with your organizations' information. These materials and further information on WNTD 2007 will be available on the Global Voices campaign website in the first half of May. cf. http://www.globalsmokefreepartnership.org/.

Lesson learnt and recommendations from the presentation by Elspeth Lee:

1. 1999-2003 demonstrated the failure of the voluntary approach, therefore a change of approach was needed.

2. In 2004 the UK government issued a white paper with pub/club exemptions which stressed the fact that many G't departments would have to be persuaded.

3. Despite the greatest public obstacles, the UK smoke free campaign was successful in reversing the Government plans in favour of a comprehensive ban (with no exemptions).

4. Importance of learning from other countries.

5. Build a diverse coalition with a common aim.

6. Utilise strength of members.

7. Maintain internal organisational support.

8. Focus on workers' health.

9. Split the opposition.

10. Find a strong political figure.

11. Use media rebuttals to re-centre the issue.

12. Develop public knowledge/support.

13. Maintain media momentum.

14. Develop public/private lobbying.

Many participants requested the speaker's presentations as they found them extremely useful. All presentations can now be downloaded from the Smoke Free Partnership website.

Following the presentations and a brief question-and-answer session, the participants split into three groups (roughly geographically defined) to discuss some of the questions outlined in the workshop objectives. A report of theses breakout sessions will be available soon on this website. Please note that the following recommendations emerged as an Immediate Call for Action:

Sign up to the Global Voices Campaign and please let florence.berteletti@ersnet.org know when you have done it.

European strategy meeting on the implementation of Smoke free policies in Europe

margarida — 2009-01-10T13:58:00Z

The European strategy meeting on the implementation of Smoke free Policies in Europe, also known as the Cyprus meeting, was organised in Limassol, Cyprus on 13 May 2005.

The Cyprus meeting was jointly organised by Cancer Research UK, European Heart Network, European Network for Smoking Prevention, European Respiratory Society and Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, and brought together tobacco advocates from all EU Member States and candidate countries. The overall objective of the meeting was to try to reach a consensus on key messages on smoke free policies and agree a common campaigning platform on smoke free legislation across the EEA countries.

Presentations and discussions focused on the successes and failures of national campaigns and legislation, trying to identify which countries are likely to be next and trying to identify tipping points for action in other EU countries. Participants were also brought up to date with the latest research and campaigns in key countries.

A set of key recommendations, based on research findings and the experience of successful countries like Ireland, Norway and Italy, was agreed by participants. The Limassol recommendations aim to identify a number of relevant steps which can contribute to developing comprehensive smoke free legislation.

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

Nicky — 2008-07-15T12:31:55Z

Tobacco control experts met with European Union Health Commissioner Mrs Androulla Vassiliou and prominent Members of the European Parliament to explore the reasons why normal rules of engagement should not apply to the tobacco industry.

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.

The overall aim of the meeting was to inform policy makers, in particular EU Member States and Members of the European Parliament of recent tobacco industry interference across the world and to generate a debate.

The third edition of the ‘Spotlight on the FCTC', which looks at the reasoning behind Article 5.3 was launched on this occasion.

The seminar brought together more than 70 participants including Members of the European Parliament, senior officials from the European Commission and Member State representatives and public health and tobacco experts.

Present on the panel were EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou; Avril Doyle MEP; Akinbode Oluwafemi, Environmental Rights Action's Manager in Lagos, Nigeria; Dr Anna Gilmore, Clinical Reader in Public Health, Health Foundation Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine BANES Primary Care Trust School for Health, University of Bath; Mrs Jean King, Director of Tobacco Control at Cancer Research UK and Dr Francois Decaillet Senior Advisor and representative to the EU of WHO Regional Office for Europe.

The seminar was hosted by Mrs Avril Doyle, MEP.