Malta joins EU ministers in calling for early agreement on tobacco directive

Health ministers from sixteen EU member states have called for an early agreement on the Tobacco Products Directive, the anti-smoking law that MEPs will be voting on next Tuesday.

In advance of the crucial vote on whether to open negotiations with the European Council on the Tobacco Products Directive, health ministers from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom today called on MEPs to agree to start talks as soon as possible with a view to reaching agreement by the end of this year.

Tobacco remains the single largest cause of avoidable illness in the European Union causing the deaths of an estimated 700,000 EU citizens each year.

"Ministers for Health are particularly concerned about the number of children and young people who continue to be attracted to tobacco products and who become addicted with lifelong consequences for their health and well being.

"At a time of austerity in many parts of Europe, ministers are also conscious that treating patients with tobacco related illness is a massive but avoidable cost for public health systems," the minister said in a joint statement.

The Council's own position foresees large mandatory text and picture health warnings covering 65% of the front and back of cigarette packs and the prohibition of tobacco products with a characterising flavour.

But the outcome of the tobacco directive will depend on negotiations between MEPs and the Council, after MEPs first vote in favour of the law.

The tobacco law was postponed in September much to the consternation of health groups, who blamed the intensive lobbying by tobacco multinational Philip Morris behind a delay on the vote.