The Commission plans to finalize in less than three months the draft act amending Directive 2001/37/EC regulating tobacco products, which targets the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products in European Union member states, in particular the use of warnings on packets, the prohibition of descriptions such as ‘mild’ or ‘light’, the maximum tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields, and the prohibition of tobacco for oral use.
The Directive is subject to periodical revision, therefore, in September 2010, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers put a potential revision of the directive up for public debate.
The Commission’s main propositions put up for public debate refers to packaging that requires the removal of all branding (colors, imagery, corporate logos and trademarks), permitting manufacturers to print only the brand name in a mandated size, font and place on the pack, in addition to the health warnings and any other legally mandated information such as toxic constituents and tax-paid stamps. Evidence from quantitative studies, qualitative research and the internal documents of the tobacco industry consistently identify packaging as an important part of tobacco promotion.
The Commission is hoping these measures will subsequently reduce consumption, especially among youths.The amendments to the Directive should be applied from the end of 2014 in all Member States.
Tobacco industry players, in turn, said there is no evidence that “generic packaging” will reduce smoking rates, arguing it will breach the provisions of the treaties concerning intellectual property and international commerce and it will boost illicit trade.
Public consultation has triggered over 85,000 comments from private individuals, non-profit organizations, governments or authorities.
Cigarette maker Philip Morris said the tobacco industry creates 1.46 million jobs in the EU, mainly in small and medium-sized enterprises, and generates revenues of EUR121 billion.