The vote was intended to make tobacco smoking less attractive to young people through mandatory warnings, minimum pack sizes, and rules on flavourings.
However, the revision of the EU ‘Tobacco Products Directive’ would classify most e cigarettes as a medicinal product, despite the fact that in the UK alone 25 percent of all attempts to kick the habit are made using e cigarettes, making them the most popular aid.
The European Commission had proposed that e cigarettes containing 4 milligrammes or more of nicotine must be classed as medicinal products but an EU parliamentary committee went further, voting to classify all e cigarettes as pharmaceuticals, regardless of the nicotine content.
Users of e cigarettes (known as vapers) have protested, arguing that through e cigarettes they were able to kick the tobacco habit.
They say classifying them as medical devices will mean they must undergo a costly and protracted authorisation processes before marketing. Their availability would be restricted to certain pharmacies.
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Producers of e cigarettes said the vote could push many out of business and reduce choice for e cigarette users.
Fraser Cropper, chief executive of e cigarette company Totally Wicked, said “It will result in many smaller and more innovative producers of e cigarettes going out of business. Medicines regulation creates a default prohibition and requirement for approval, leaving deadly tobacco cigarettes as the only easily marketed source of nicotine.”
Martin Callanan, Conservative MEP, proposed an amendment that would see e cigarettes authorised in a similar way to other nicotine products.
He said, “”The world has gone mad when tobacco is less regulated than products designed to end tobacco use. Thousands of people have given up smoking thanks to e cigarettes. For the EU to over regulate them is completely counter productive and hypocritical.
“This vote is not the end of this process and we will be working with vapers to make other MEPs see sense and support e cigarette producers and users.”
Policy toward the new technology widely varies across the EU. Some countries such as Denmark have banned them, while in others such as Britain they are freely available for sale with no restrictions.
European mps say ‘no’ to crackdown on electronic cigarettes
Can you buy carton of newport cigarettes online – ñà éò discountcigarettestore!
Critics fear electronic cigarettes could ‘trick’ young people into smoking GETTY
Backers of “e cigarettes” argued that a new licensing system would reduce availability of a key weapon against smoking and would penalise firms with large costs.
The UK Government wanted tighter regulation of the tobacco free products, which turn a solution containing nicotine into vapour which users “smoke” through a cylinder.
Critics fear they could “trick” young people into smoking. The Department of Health admitted it was disappointed the European Parliament had rejected stricter regulation and vowed to keep pressing for the devices to be treated like medicines.
The vote was the Parliament s first on the draft EU Tobacco Directive which could become law next year and be implemented across Europe within two years.
There will now be more negotiations between the Parliament and EU member states to try to get agreement before next May s European elections.
The UK s medicines regulator has already said it wants e cigs to be treated like other nicotine products to ensure their quality and content can be checked.
E cigarettes turn a nicotine solution into vapour which is ‘smoked’ through a cylinder GETTY
Forcing e cigs off the shelves would have been totally crazy
Tory MEP Martin Callanan
But British Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies welcomed the vote, saying “E cigs can be a game changer in the fight against smoking.”
Tory MEP Martin Callanan said “Forcing e cigs off the shelves would have been totally crazy.”
MEPs dismayed campaigners by rejecting a ban on flavoured brands, such as menthol cigarettes.
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