By Anne-France White - 30th January 2007
Markos Kyprianou has called for an EU-wide ban on smoking in public places.
“It is time to bring the debate to the EU level”, the EU health commissioner said as he launched a consultation on policy options to tackle passive smoking.
“I would like to see a comprehensive, complete ban everywhere in the EU,” he said.
The commission’s policy paper tabled on 30 January is intended to “launch a broad public consultation on the best way to promote smoke-free environments in the EU”.
It offers five policy options for discussion, ranging from “no change from the status quo” to “binding legislation”, and asks member states and civil society to submit their comments by 1 May.
The paper’s key question is the level of EU involvement required in promoting smoke-free legislation - that is, whether the EU should introduce a Europe-wide smoking ban.
The commission says it will analyse the responses and produce a report with the main findings of the consultation.
A commission communication could follow in 2008 if respondents call for EU action.
Talking at the launch of the consultation, Kyprianou said he is encouraged by the growing number of EU countries with smoking bans in restaurants and bars.
Sweden, Italy and Malta all have comprehensive smoke-free legislation for bars and restaurants, with Estonia and Finland following suit in June and France in 2008.
Six other countries, including Belgium, have partial smoking bans, such as bans for restaurants but not for bars.
“My hope is that by the end of my mandate in 2009, most of the 27 member states will have adopted measures against passive smoking,” Kyprianou said.
“Even Germany, which has always been considered to be a paradise for smokers, is now seeing a debate emerging,” he said.
According to a recent EU poll, 80 per cent of EU citizens back smoking bans in workplaces and indoor public places.
Kyprianou said the highest support for bans is in the member states that are already smoke-free, and that smoking has dropped in countries with bans in place.
According to EU figures, over 79,000 adults die each year as a result of passive smoking in the 25 countries of the EU.
The commission has pushed a strong anti-smoking policy under Kyprianou, himself a reformed smoker who used to go through three packs a day.
The commission’s previous proposals have included picture warnings on cigarette packs – an idea which has so far only been taken up by Belgium, much to Kyprianou’s “big disappointment”.
“I expected more countries to take up the idea,” he said.
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