Civil society urges Barroso for progress on the Tobacco Products Directive and greater transparency

Following the resignation of the Health Commissioner and the designation of a new Maltese Commissioner to replace Mr Dalli, a coalition of civil society organisations wrote to European Commission President Barroso calling for (already overdue) progress to be made on the Tobacco Products Directive and on transparency initiatives.


This civil society open letter follows correspondence from Members of the European Parliament from the ENVI Committee, Members Against Cancer Group, and Irish MEPs asking for the Directive to be released for the Irish Presidency. At the Commission’s press conference after Dalli’s departure and in the 2013 Work Programme debate, it was confirmed that the Directive would be delayed until a new Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy was confirmed.

The civil society coalition warns that freezing the release of the Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) sends the wrong signals to people in Europe. Many could see the delay of the TPD as a worrying detachment from the priorities of people living in Europe as it refuses to do its legal and moral duty by releasing this long-awaited piece of legislation. A stronger Tobacco Products Directive is urgently needed to help protect people from tobacco marketing and, among other outcomes, reduce youth smoking rates.

The incidents and events surrounding Mr Dalli’s resignation demonstrate the need for enhanced EU transparency policies, better decision making processes and more transparent and accountable Commission ethics rules. We ask for the urgent introduction of far more effective conflicts of interest rules for Commissioners and Commission officials. The signing organisations ask for measures to prevent the Commission’s contacts with lobbyists lead to potential conflicts of interest and undue influence.

In this context, the signing organsiations encourage President Barosso to use the review of the “Transparency Register” in 2013 to address these concerns and introduce a mandatory register. In addition to the Transparency Register through which lobbyists report on their activities, the European Commission should provide online transparency about meetings, phone calls and correspondence between Commission officials and lobbyists.

- Read the full letter to President Barroso

Signatory organisations:
- Active Citizenship Network
- AGE Platform Europe
- Association Nationale de Prévention en Alcoologie et Addictologie
- Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL)
- Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)
- Association of Sweet Life Dubrovnik
- Cancer Research UK
- Corporate Europe Observatory
- Equity in Health Institute
- European Central Council of Homeopaths
- European Chronic Disease Alliance
- European COPD Coalition
- European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations
- European Federation of Nurses Associations
- European Federation of Patients’ Associations for Anthroposophic Medicine
- European Heart Network
- European Institute of Women’s Health
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP)
- European Public Health Association (EUPHA)
- European Public Health Alliance
- European Respiratory Society
- European Shiatsu Federation (ESF)
- European Society for Quality in Healthcare
- European Youth Forum
- International Diabetes Federation Europe
- Malta Health Network
- North West Health Brussels Office
- Polish Society for Health Programs
- Royal College of Physicians
- Smoke-Free Partnership

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Last modified on November 5 2012.