SMOKE FREE PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

The presentation of the Council Directive 2011/64/EU on excise rules for tobacco (the Tobacco Tax Directive - TTD) was planned for 7 December 2022 in line with the European Commission published work programme for 2022. The release has been postponed. This cannot be a surprise given the tobacco industry’s omnipresence, lobbying and interference at the EU level.

Brussels, 2 December 2022 - The 2021 Tobacco Control Scale was presented today at the ICO-WHO Symposium on Tobacco Control in Barcelona. The new ranking describes the tobacco control actions (price increase, smoking bans in public places, etc) implemented in 37 European countries in 2021 (EU 27 countries + Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK and Turkey). The scale shows Ireland, UK and France leading the ranking while Serbia, Switzerland and Bosnia & Herzegovina show poor results.

The sale of cigarettes is incredibly profitable for tobacco giants. In 2018, the six biggest tobacco producers made a tidy sum of 55 billion dollars in profit. That's more than Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nestlé, Mondelez, Fedex, General Mills (including Häagen-Dazs), Starbucks, Heineken and Carlsberg put together.

The Policy Officer supports the implementation of the SFP strategy and annual work plans. S/he will work closely with the SFP Director within a small team and will have policy campaign responsibilities. S/he will have a responsibility to execute SFP’s policy strategy and allocated deliverables and will represent SFP and its positions externally. 

Brussels, 7 November - SFP welcomes the Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100 that was published in the Official Journal on November 3, 2022. This Directive imposes a ban on heated tobacco flavours, and mandatory labelling requirements for heated tobacco products, as for cigarettes, in accordance with Art. 11 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

Today, 29 September 2022, the Philip Morris Germany organises an “after work cocktail reception” in the strategically located Place du Luxembourg (PLUX) to “exchange ideas” with the assistants of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

SFP and CEO sent a letter to MEPs urging them and their cabinet members in EU Parliament not to lend their credibility and profile to the tobacco industry and not to contribute to legitimising a company or an industry with such an abysmal track record. 

Brussels, 15 September 2022: the Board of the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) is delighted to announce that Lilia Olefir has been appointed as SFP Director.

Fifteen members of the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance have called, in a joint statement, for the European Commission to include Operating Grants for health NGOs in the EU4Health 2023 Work Programme.

The Comité National Contre Le Tabagisme (CNCT), one of the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) main partners, was instrumental in the incorporation of a mention of Article 5.3 in the ethics guide that was disseminated to all members of the French National Assembly.

The second edition of the SFP Newsletter is out.

Learn about policy updates, SFP policy materials submitted to the Commission and read the news from our partners.

This internship is an excellent opportunity for anyone willing to develop hands-on knowledge about EU-level policymaking, advocacy, and communications in the health, environment, and sustainability areas while working for a purpose in a motivated and mission-driven team.

On 25 July, Trends published a long interview with Frederic De Wilde, CEO of Philip Morris Europe. He labels his company as a good example of a sector in transition. But is this credible? Other newspapers published an article on 23 June regarding PMI’s takeovers and investments in wellness and healthcare, of all things.    

31 May is World No Tobacco Day, organized by WHO, World Health Organization. This year, 16 Swedish anti-tobacco organizations are investing in showing the difference between genuine joy and belonging and the false image conveyed in advertising for new nicotine products. With the help of Tiktok stars and Silent Disco flashmobs are organized around Sweden to sound the alarm that more and more young people are starting with white snus and puff bars.

Here is the first SFP newsletter of 2022! Here you will find highlights of the last months, as well as key materials and events. 

In February 2022, the advertising agency Mediatransports twice refused to allow the French public health group, ACT-Alliance contre le tabac to advertise in the Parisian subway and railway stations. The blocked advertisements are from ACT’s latest campaign “Change their future” which denounces the tobacco industry’s exploitation of young people.

Discover SFP's work throughout 2020 in our latest Annual Report.

Brussels, 14 February 2022:  Articles 15 and 16 of the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) , and its implementing and delegated acts established the first regional tobacco tracking and tracing system for tobacco products. It aims to support Member States in controlling the supply chain of tobacco products legally manufactured or imported on the EU’s internal market, and in meeting the EU’s and Member States’ obligations under Article 8 of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

SFP is joining its voice to 11 organisations to support the report developed by the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA); and call on Members of the European Parliament to adopt the report during the plenary vote of February with no weakening of its recommendations on cancer prevention.

The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) was created in order to advocate at EU and national level for the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For a decade and a half, it provided a key voice in public health in Europe, advocating for the adoption of policies and legislation to help reduce tobacco use.

The SFP Board announces the departure of the SFP Director, Anca Toma, after 4 years in this position and 10 in the organisation, to take up a new professional challenge at the end of February 2022.