29 June: Health Council

Date: 06/07/2000

EU HEALTH ministers approved proposals for tough new rules to govern cigarette packaging and contents, despite strong opposition from Germany. The planned legislation would require tobacco manufacturers to cover at least 25&percent; of cigarette packets with health warnings and ban them from using labels such as light, ultra-light and low tar. Medical research has shown cigarettes that carry these labels are no less harmful than their stronger counterparts. Under the proposals, the maximum tar and carbon monoxide levels would be reduced to 10mg and a ceiling of 1mg for nicotine content would be introduced.

GERMANY voted against the measures and Austria, Luxembourg and Spain abstained, but they were still approved by qualified majority vote. The legislation is due to come into force at the end of 2003, but ministers agreed to grant Greece an exemption until 2006.

They also agreed to consider requiring tobacco manufacturers to give details of the 200 different additives used in cigarettes after this date. The proposals will now be sent back to the European Parliament for a second reading,

MEPs have called for a higher percentage of cigarette packages to be covered with health warnings.

MINISTERS held a preliminary discussion on the European Commission's plans for the Union's health strategy between 2001 and 2006. They welcomed the call for a unified action programme, which will focus on improving health information, providing rapid reaction mechanisms to deal with unexpected health crises such as outbreaks of communicable diseases, and health-promotion measures.

The Commission has proposed a €300-million budget for the action programme. Plans to set up a European health forum to encourage greater cooperation between health agencies were also discussed.

THE Council approved rules which will harmonise standards for the production, distribution and use of products derived from human blood and plasma and put to medical use. The new rules are designed to protect the public from health risks such as the transmission of disease.

THE French outlined their plans in the health field during their term in charge of Union business. Their priorities will include finalising the new tobacco laws, moving forward on the Commission's health action plan and kick-starting legislation to implement the proposals contained in the EU executive's food safety White Paper, which aims to close loopholes in existing Union legislation on food safety and establish an independent European food authority. Ministers also discussed ways of integrating health issues into other EU policy areas.

CONSUMER Protection Commissioner David Byrne presented a report on the progress to date on the World Health Organisation's plans to agree a convention on the fight against tobacco. The first negotiations on the convention are due to take place in October.