BETA


2009/2751(RSP) Resolution on smoke-free environments

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 136-p5

Events

2010/03/29
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2009/11/26
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2009/11/26
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 25 November 2009 the European Parliament adopted by 520 votes to 53 with 45 abstentions a resolution on smoke-free environments.

The resolution had been tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, ECR, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups.

It notes that 25 % of all cancer deaths and 15 % of all deaths in the EU could be attributed to smoking, but that 70 % of the EU population are non-smokers and a broad majority of citizens are in favour of a ban in all public places (workplaces, restaurants, bars and pubs). According to conservative estimates, 7 300 adults, including 2 800 non-smokers, died as a result of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at their workplace in the EU in 2002.

Parliament regrets that the Presidency decided to adopt the Council recommendation on smoke-free environments without the opinion of Parliament. It regrets the fact that the lack of comprehensive regulations on smoke-free environments in the majority of Member States (in particular in the hospitality and leisure sectors) results in inequalities between different occupational and socio-economic groups, hospitality workers being three times more likely to be exposed to tobacco smoke for over five hours a day than office workers. Parliament has consistently advocated stronger measures to tackle tobacco dependence and reduce exposure among young people to second-hand tobacco smoke, and it underlines the serious harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke during the vulnerable period of childhood, and the fact that children do not have the legal capacity to give their consent to systematic and long-term exposure to smoke-filled environments.

Members stress that the differing national laws result in huge differences in protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke between Member States. Only a full smoking ban in all enclosed workplaces , including catering establishments, and in all public buildings and transport, can protect the health of employees and non-smokers and make it considerably easier for smokers to quit.

Parliament calls on the Commission to do the following:

to produce a report on the costs incurred by national health systems and the EU economy as a result of smoking and the effects of tobacco smoke pollution; to submit a proposal for the amendment of Directive 2001/37/EC on tobacco products, including at least the modifications contained in Parliament's resolution of 24 October 2007 on the Green Paper 'Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level’; to produce a comprehensive study of the effects of the long-term and systematic exposure of children to second-hand and third-hand tobacco smoke in all their places of activity; with Member States, to use both the proposed Council recommendation and Member States’ best practices as a basis for input into the formulation of guidelines for the implementation of Article 14 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ('demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation'), to be adopted at the next Conference of the Parties to the FCTC; to continue implementing support measures at EU level, for instance awareness-raising measures including information on the packages of tobacco products, which are integrated with the national communications campaigns aimed at discouraging smoking; as with the measures in favour of a 'Europe without tobacco', to equip itself with new means to fight the different types of trafficking in and counterfeiting of tobacco products, notably on the Internet, in view of the immediate and increased dangers that they pose to consumers’ health.

With regard to the FCTC, Parliament proposes that the Council recommend that Member States establish an ongoing dialogue and consultation with all relevant stakeholders in accordance with the Article 5.3 FCTC implementation guidelines adopted at the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC in 2009, in order to ensure the support of all actors for the implementation of national tobacco control strategies and programmes. Those Member States which have already ratified the FCTC must implement its recommendations, as well as to report to the Commission biannually on the progress of their implementation.

Lastly, Parliament calls, once again, on the President and the Bureau, in the light of their duty to set an example to Member States, to adopt a smoking ban with no exemptions in all parts of Parliament and with immediate effect, with a rigorous enforcement of that ban.

Documents
2009/11/26
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2009/11/25
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2009/11/25
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Details

O-0119/2009

2009/11/23
   EP - Oral question/interpellation by Parliament
Documents

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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2009-11-26T00:00:00
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summary
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activities
  • date: 2009-11-25T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20091125&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2009-11-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=17700&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2009-100 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0100/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
    docs
    • date: 2009-11-23T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2009-225&language=EN title: B7-0225/2009 type: Oral question/interpellation by Parliament body: EP
    • date: 2009-11-25T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2009-164&language=EN title: B7-0164/2009 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2010-03-29T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=17700&j=0&l=en title: SP(2010)793/2 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2009-11-25T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20091125&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament summary: O-0119/2009
    • date: 2009-11-26T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=17700&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2009-11-26T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2009-100 title: T7-0100/2009 summary: Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 25 November 2009 the European Parliament adopted by 520 votes to 53 with 45 abstentions a resolution on smoke-free environments. The resolution had been tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, ECR, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. It notes that 25 % of all cancer deaths and 15 % of all deaths in the EU could be attributed to smoking, but that 70 % of the EU population are non-smokers and a broad majority of citizens are in favour of a ban in all public places (workplaces, restaurants, bars and pubs). According to conservative estimates, 7 300 adults, including 2 800 non-smokers, died as a result of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at their workplace in the EU in 2002. Parliament regrets that the Presidency decided to adopt the Council recommendation on smoke-free environments without the opinion of Parliament. It regrets the fact that the lack of comprehensive regulations on smoke-free environments in the majority of Member States (in particular in the hospitality and leisure sectors) results in inequalities between different occupational and socio-economic groups, hospitality workers being three times more likely to be exposed to tobacco smoke for over five hours a day than office workers. Parliament has consistently advocated stronger measures to tackle tobacco dependence and reduce exposure among young people to second-hand tobacco smoke, and it underlines the serious harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke during the vulnerable period of childhood, and the fact that children do not have the legal capacity to give their consent to systematic and long-term exposure to smoke-filled environments. Members stress that the differing national laws result in huge differences in protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke between Member States. Only a full smoking ban in all enclosed workplaces , including catering establishments, and in all public buildings and transport, can protect the health of employees and non-smokers and make it considerably easier for smokers to quit. Parliament calls on the Commission to do the following: to produce a report on the costs incurred by national health systems and the EU economy as a result of smoking and the effects of tobacco smoke pollution; to submit a proposal for the amendment of Directive 2001/37/EC on tobacco products, including at least the modifications contained in Parliament's resolution of 24 October 2007 on the Green Paper 'Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level’; to produce a comprehensive study of the effects of the long-term and systematic exposure of children to second-hand and third-hand tobacco smoke in all their places of activity; with Member States, to use both the proposed Council recommendation and Member States’ best practices as a basis for input into the formulation of guidelines for the implementation of Article 14 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ('demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation'), to be adopted at the next Conference of the Parties to the FCTC; to continue implementing support measures at EU level, for instance awareness-raising measures including information on the packages of tobacco products, which are integrated with the national communications campaigns aimed at discouraging smoking; as with the measures in favour of a 'Europe without tobacco', to equip itself with new means to fight the different types of trafficking in and counterfeiting of tobacco products, notably on the Internet, in view of the immediate and increased dangers that they pose to consumers’ health. With regard to the FCTC, Parliament proposes that the Council recommend that Member States establish an ongoing dialogue and consultation with all relevant stakeholders in accordance with the Article 5.3 FCTC implementation guidelines adopted at the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC in 2009, in order to ensure the support of all actors for the implementation of national tobacco control strategies and programmes. Those Member States which have already ratified the FCTC must implement its recommendations, as well as to report to the Commission biannually on the progress of their implementation. Lastly, Parliament calls, once again, on the President and the Bureau, in the light of their duty to set an example to Member States, to adopt a smoking ban with no exemptions in all parts of Parliament and with immediate effect, with a rigorous enforcement of that ban.
    • date: 2009-11-26T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 128-p5
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 128-p5
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 4.20.03 Drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking
      New
      4.20.03
      Drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking
      procedure/subtype
      Old
      Debate or resolution on oral questions
      New
      Debate or resolution on oral question/interpellation
      activities
      • date: 2009-11-25T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20091125&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
      • date: 2009-11-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=17700&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2009-100 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0100/2009 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2009/2751(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on smoke-free environments
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 128-p5
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Debate or resolution on oral questions
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject
          4.20.03 Drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking