SMOKE FREE PARTNERSHIP POLICY MATERIALS

SFP's Senior Advisor Luk Joosens assesses the implementation of the tracking and tracing system in countries party to the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP)  will be participating in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) to advocate for a ban on cigarette filters.

SFP is in Paris from 29 May to 2 June, to join forces with the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA) and push for key messages to ensure that the currently negotiated UN plastic treaty talks align with EU and global legal tobacco control commitments.

The  Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) is participating in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) to advocate for a ban on cigarette filters.

Summary: In April 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its options paper that summarizes a set of objectives, substantive provisions, including core obligations, control measures, voluntary approaches, implementation measures, and means of implementation for the upcoming plastics treaty talks.

The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) will be participating in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) to advocate for a ban on cigarette filters.

Summary: UNEA Resolution 5/14 calls for the development of a global plastics treaty. Formal negotiations start at the end of November 2022. The treaty is expected to address the issue of Single Use Plastics (SUPs), under which cigarette filters have been classified.

The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP)  is participating in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) to advocate for a ban on cigarette filters.

Summary: Measures to address plastics, especially single-use plastics, should align with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Cigarette filters are plastic fibres that have been linked to a more aggressive form of cancer. The filter is a design feature that, if removed, could reduce consumer appeal.

The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) is participating in the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) to advocate for a ban on cigarette filters.

Summary: The tobacco industry is facing a potential ban on plastic filters. Filters are toxic waste, as they release harmful chemicals, including heavy metals and radioactive substances, as they decompose. There is no viable treatment or recycling solution for these products. Such a ban poses a threat to the industry's profitability, and as a result, manufacturers are seeking to circumvent such a ban by creating “biodegradable filters.”

Brussels, 15 December 2022: The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) welcomes the Commission’s initiative to revise the 2009 Recommendation on smoke-free environments. SFP agrees that such a revision is much needed, given the latest market developments, the latest findings of studies regarding the impact of tobacco smoke and emerging products’ aerosols on health and the environment, the specific vulnerability of children to second-hand and third-hand tobacco smoke, and the wide divergence of smoke-free laws across Member States.

This report describes the results of a survey of tobacco control activity in 37 European countries in 2021, using the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS). 
The data used for the 2021 survey refers to legislation in force on the 1 January 2022, to 2020 data on prices of tobacco products, and to the tobacco control budget in 2020. Any legislation, price increases, or funding introduced or enforced after those dates are not included. 

Brussels, 16 August 2022: Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) submits its contribution to the EU Commission’s public consultation on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD). SFP makes the case for a ban on tobacco filters and a more ambitious liability mechanism for the tobacco industry’s environmental impact and management of the post-consumption waste of its products.

Brussels, 20 July 2022: SFP welcomes the Commission’s initiative to revise its 2009 recommendation on Smoke-Free Environments. Recommendation on Smoke-Free Environments is key if the EU is to denormalize smoking in order to achieve the target set in the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to reduce smoking prevalence across the EU to 5% in 2040.

SFP welcomes the evaluation of the legislative framework for tobacco control (including the Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU, Tobacco Advertising Directive 2003/33/EC and other related tobacco control policies across the EU) that aims to safeguard public health and protect young people from tobacco-related harm. SFP in its responses provides policy suggestion to strengthen the legislative framework for tobacco control in line with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

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.

Brussels, 7 December 2021: the new EU Tobacco Industry Index released by SPF today, with the support of ENSP, EPHA, CEO and ECL, shows revived efforts by the tobacco industry to influence the EU policy making process.

Brussels, November 2021: the TPD as adopted in 2014 contributed significantly to improving the functioning of the internal market and implementing the FCTC at EU level to reduce tobacco use. However, new market and legislative developments in the EU gave rise to new challenges to the functioning of the internal market and to the protection of public health, which must be addressed through the revision of the current Directive. 

Brussels, 02 November:The European Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021 analyzes how 16 countries in the WHO European Region and the institutions of the European Union are affected by tobacco industry, and how far they have progressed in the implementation of Article 5.3 and its Guidelines that were unanimously adopted.

On the occasion of a special policy dialogue focusing on the Tobacco Products Directive, the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), the European Heart Network (EHN), the European Lung Foundation (ELF), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP), teamed up to formulate concrete recommendations to EU policy makers towards delivering effective policies to protect in the best way possible children’s and young people’s health from tobacco and to achieve a sustainable tobacco-free future.

Brussels, 29 June 2021: The MEPs Against Cancer Interest Group, the MEP Heart Group, the MEP Lung Health Group and the Smoke Free Partnership held a special policy dialogue on ‘Europe’s path to the Tobacco Products Directive 3.0’ on Tuesday 29 June 2021 from 11:00 – 13:00 CEST. 

A RECORDING OF THE SESSION IS AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJIyzEJ4B4w

Brussels, 23 June 2021: Our newly published paper contains SFP’s policy proposals for the revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive 2011/64/EU.

The European Commission consultation focused on updating the rules for tobacco and alcohol bought abroad and improving the misuse of existing cross-border arrangements for such purchases.

The European Commission roadmap focused on updating the rules for tobacco and alcohol bought abroad and improving the misuse of existing cross-border arrangements for such purchases.

December 2020: In light of the ongoing developments on Horizon Europe and its Mission on Cancer, the purpose of this document is to highlight the role of research for tobacco control, especially considering the crucial importance of tobacco control measures for public health. While the document focuses on Horizon Europe, due to the nature of tobacco as a commercial determinant for health the provided recommendations would mostly apply to its Cancer Mission. 

December 2020: The new SFP paper on the Investment Case for the Global Strategy focuses on outlining different pathways for funding, as well as on examples of existing ways to support implementation.

December 2020: Read the SFP Briefing focusing on the Illicit Trade Protocol (ITP) Ratification Status.

Brussels, 19 May 2020: SFP launched its latest briefing paper, titled Tobacco Control for Cancer Prevention.