Greens signal cooperation on tobacco ads ban

Date: 19/12/02

By Karen Carstens

GREEN MEPs joined their German counterparts last week in a pledge not to undermine a new tobacco advertising directive by dragging it before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Finnish MEP Heidi Hautala, in an open letter on behalf of the Green/EFA group in the European Parliament, praised Renate Künast, Germany's Green agriculture and consumer protection minister, and her colleagues in the Bundestag.

"We are pleased to know that the Greens in the German [coalition] government have distanced themselves from the longstanding priority Germany has given to the economic interests of tobacco industry and publishing houses," the letter said. "The public health interest has to be recognised to take precedence over short-term economic interests."

The ban, championed by Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne and approved by health ministers earlier this month, will cover the print media, radio and the internet.

Immediately after the health ministers' decision, the German government threatened a repeat performance of two years ago, when it took a previous directive on an EU-wide tobacco advertising ban to the ECJ - and won.

If it is not contested by the German government or the tobacco industry this time around, the new directive is due to come into force by 31 July 2005 at the latest.

Green MEPs have joined their German counterparts in a pledge not to undermine a new tobacco advertising directive by dragging it before the European Court of Justice.