nanoymaster
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Post #131 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
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GIBLA53 (20/12/13) antwilk1981
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Post #132 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
My reply from my MEP
Thank you for your email regarding e cigarettes and the revision of the European Tobacco Products Directive as proposed by the European Commission. I have received lots of correspondence from members of my constituency regarding this matter. At the first Strasbourg plenary session on 8th October 2013 the European Parliament passed the draft law with the aim of making tobacco products less attractive to young people.
The European Commission proposal was a response to developments in the tobacco industry and to tobacco products as well as the Commission’s own report on the Application of the Tobacco Products Directive of 2007 and 2009, which identified potential areas for improvement. Further information can be found here
In Strasbourg MEPs voted for all cigarette packets in future to have large pictorial health warnings covering at least 65% of the surface (up from 30% to 40% at present on front and back of packages) to make packs less appealing. Packs of fewer than 20 cigarettes would be banned. However, MEPs rejected calls for a ban on slim cigarettes. The approved text also says that fruit, menthol flavours and small packs should be banned, and electronic cigarettes should be regulated but as medicinal products only if they claim curative or preventive properties.
The UK Liberal Democrat MEPs were instrumental in ensuring that e cigarettes would not be classified as a medicinal product. My press release on the matter can be read here
Since October negotiations (“trilogues”) between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, made up of Ministers from the Member State governments, have taken place in order to come to an agreement on a final text. I know concerns have been raised regarding the measures being too restrictive, such as the European Commission’s proposal that all electronic cigarettes should be controlled by pharmaceutical legislation.
Although I was not part of the negotiations, as I hold no official role in the scrutiny of this Directive, our Liberal representative Frederique Ries MEP, who attended these meetings, has expressed her concerns. I know that during negotiations with representatives of EU governments MEPs insisted that the maximum nicotine content of e cigs available for general sale should be 20mg/ml, a major increase on the 3mg originally proposed by the Commission and above the average routinely used.
During late night talks on 16th December 2013 I have been informed that the European Commission backed down on demands for a heavy regulation of electronic cigarettes. Plans for the product to be controlled by pharmacies, restricting the sale on the open market, have been stopped. Minimum nicotine content has also been set at 20mg/l, far higher than the 3mg the Commission had originally hoped for. 20mg/l is closely comparable to that of conventional cigarettes.
Refillable units, which are widely used at present, will continue to be available but will be subject to a health and safety review by the European Commission. New proposals to guide their use could be introduced in 2016.
Although the final agreement will have to be approved by another vote of the European Parliament before it becomes law, I think this is a great achievement for MEPs in the face of stiff government opposition. Classifying e cigarettes as a medicinal product would have greatly increased their cost, limited the product choices and restricted their retail availability. I know from correspondence from many constituents (as you have mentioned) that e cigarettes have been instrumental in helping many people stop smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Thank you again for your correspondence.
Yours sincerely,
Phil Bennion MEP 21/12/13 08 45 AM
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Post #133 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
The Lib Dems are simply not getting the fact that a de facto ban on 2nd and 3rd gen ecigs (no consistent dose) and a ban on promotion (no POTV, VTTV, AAEC etc) is disproportionate and unacceptable. They are also parroting the unscientific nonsense that “20mg/l is closely comparable to that of conventional cigarettes.” (lets be kind and ignore the confusion over units unless Phil knows something we don’t) which makes a mockery of the concentration limit.
These are pharma regs by any other name and unless the Lib Dems wise up to this they will lose all the goodwill they’d built up earlier in this godawful process.
Tell your MP why ecigs aren’t medicines.
21/12/13 11 56 AM
Dragonmum
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Post #134 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
Matt (Gluggler) has done a great blog on nic equivalencies in simple language that even politicians can understand haven’t re read thread AGAIN so if previously
mentioned please ignore. 21/12/13 12 12 PM
zac
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Post #135 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
Done 30/12/13 07 34 PM
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Post #136 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
DONE 04/01/14 11 58 AM
WelshValleyVapers
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Post #137 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
signed happily
10/01/14 06 16 AM
russ2116
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Post #138 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
Signed
Vape hard and remember to stand up for your freedom of choice 10/01/14 08 00 AM
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Post #139 RE The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
Done
E cigs A Choice not a Therapy. A Lifestyle not a Treatment. Educate and Liberate. 23/01/14 12 35 PM
rainbowreality
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Post #140 Re The European Parliament Save electronic cigarettes from excessive EU regulation
Signed. The only thing that confuses me, well not the only thing, is that the nhs website already states that e cigarettes will be regulated as a medicinal product from 2016. Is this in anticipation of the proposed eu regulation or is the UK planning to do it regardless? In which case the conservatives are being hypocritical (there’s a surprise) 25/02/14 04 38 PM
Otctoolbox – europe reaches compromise on e-cigarettes
19 December 2013 by Deborah Wilkes
A compromise on electronic cigarettes has been reached, as the European Union moves closer to adopting a revised Tobacco Products Directive.
Representatives of the 28 member states and the European Parliament now have an agreed text, but it still has to be adopted formally by the European Parliament and Council.
The agreed text was not available at the time this story was published on the OTCToolbox website.
However, the European Parliament said in a statement that the compromise retained the dual route for e cigarettes that it had proposed. “E cigarettes should be regulated either as medicinal products, if they are presented as having curative or preventive claims, or alternatively as tobacco products,” said the statement.
A statement from the Council said “Member states may authorise e cigarettes under the rules for pharmaceuticals, if they meet the provisions of the pharmaceutical legislation.”
According to the Council, if e cigarettes are to be treated as tobacco products, then the maximum concentration of nicotine should be 20mg/ml and the maximum single use cartridge size should be 2ml. This is lower than the 30mg/ml proposed by the European Parliament.
Measures for refillable e cigarettes
Commenting on refillable e cigarettes, the Council said the European Commission would have to report on the potential risk to public health of these products at the latest two years after the entry into force of the directive.
“If for justified reasons related to a serious risk to human health at least three member states have banned refillable e cigarettes, the Commission is allowed to extend the ban to all member states,” added the Council.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted a draft revision of the Tobacco Products Directive incorporating the requirements for electronic cigarettes on 8 October 2013 (click here for more information).
The revised Tobacco Products Directive is expected to be adopted in 2014 and translated into national law in 2016.
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