15 July 2008.  SFP organised a seminar in the European Parliament (Brussels) on FCTC article 5.3 and to explore the reasons why normal rules of engagement shouldn't apply to the tobacco industry.

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.

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.