Tag: tobacco subsidies

The tobacco giant has committed to pay 1.25 billion US dollars (1 billion euros) to settle its long-running disputes and to advance the fight against illegal trade in tobacco products.

The tobacco giant is rumoured to offer a record amount of 830 million euro for the fight against illegal trade in counterfeit and genuine tobacco products in the EU. The settlement would prevent the EU from taking further legal action relating to these issues.

Plans to abolish subsidies to tobacco growers came under fire at the EU Agriculture Ministers' meeting on 17 November.

The Commission has put forward a proposal for a Council Recommendation outlining best practice guidelines and quality standards for the screening of several cancer types. Cancer is responsible for the death of one million EU citizens annually, killing about one in four people in Europe.

Doubts are mounting in Poland over the terms of the country's EU accession negotiated in Copenhagen, and splits are appearing in Prime Minister Leszek Miller's coalition government.

The European Court of Justice ruled on 10 December that the ban on misleading labelling of cigarettes was valid. The Court's ruling confirms the validity of the Tobacco Products Directive and comes as another setback to the tobacco producers one week after the adoption by the Council of the Directive on Tobacco advertising.

On 20 November, the EP plenary adopted in its first reading a Resolution on tobacco advertising fully endorsing the Commission's proposal for a new Directive on this matter.

The European Parliament has adopted a non-binding Opinion condemning the Commission's attempts to begin phasing out subsidies to tobacco growers. MEPs argued that no decision should be taken on the future of the regime until the completion of the current studies into this issue.

On Tuesday 19 February, a US district court dismissed the EU's claim that cigarette producers boost their profits by oversupplying Eastern European countries in order to favour smuggling into the EU, causing big tax losses. The European Commission announced it would continue its lawsuit against Phillip Morris, Japan Tobacco and R.J. Reynolds Nabisco, despite the dismissal of its claims.

The health ministers and high representatives of 51 countries are meeting from 18 to 19 February 2002 in Warsaw at the "European Ministerial Conference for a Tobacco-free Europe", organised by the World Health Organisation. They will discuss new measures to reduce tobacco consumption, prepare a global anti-tobacco treaty, and try to find a common position before the 4th session of the Framework Convention on tobacco control next month.

The European Parliament approved, with amendments, the Commission's proposal on tobacco tax harmonisation. Internal Market Commissioner Bolkestein could not, however, accept the amendments, as he believes the Parliament's approach would "lead to less rather than more harmonisation of tobacco taxes".

The European Parliament refused to give its opinion on the Directive to harmonise tobacco tax. Although the Parliament only has advisory powers on this issue it did in effect hereby delay the procedure for at least two months.

The Commission has shelved proposals to introduce a ban on European-wide sales promotions of tobacco. The proposals, due to be published on 2 October, were scrapped over fears that they could lead to legal challenges from manufacturers and Member State governments. These fears were based on the existence of another Commission proposal for a ban on tobacco advertising that overlapped with the sales promotion ban.

British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Tobacco announced that they plan to make a legal challenge to European Union legislation concerning packaging and sale of tobacco products. The two cigarette manufacturers are to file a legal action through the United Kingdom's High Court.

A US District Court dismissed the Commission's civil action against Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, which accused tobacco manufacturers of aiding in the smuggling of cigarettes into Europe. The Court ruled that the Commission could not show that their budget suffered any injury as a result of defendants' illegal acts.

Health ministers adopt common position on new Community action programme for public health and issue recommendation on alcohol

New Commission plans to ban tobacco advertising despite last year's court ruling

Commission proposes Directive introducing radical revisions to rates and structure of excise duties on tobacco

Belgium and Finland are latest Member States to join EU civil suit against US tobacco companies

A NATO-EU deal on the use of NATO assets by the EU's rapid reaction force hangs in the balance.

European Parliament approves controversial legislation to force tobacco industry to print tough graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

The EU has started legal proceedings against two US tobacco companies on charges of smuggling

The European Commission will start legal action against several US tobacco companies for their alleged involvement in cigarettes smuggling activities.

The European tobacco industry won a legal battle before the European Court of Justice over EU legislation to ban cigarette advertising and sponsorship.