26 February 2014 

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) welcomes the vote for a new European Tobacco Products Directive in the European Parliament today. In particular, the ERS hopes the new legislation will help reduce the number of children who start smoking.

Speaking after the vote, ERS Secretary for European Affairs, Professor Jean-Paul Sculier, said:

“It is over 10 years since the first Tobacco Products Directive; we have supported efforts over many years for a revision. We would have liked a stronger text in line with the scientific evidence. Regrettably, politics is the art of the possible and not an exact science.

“Nonetheless, I am pleased that the legislation will finally be updated. The most important elements are that more prominent health warnings will be on tobacco products, attractive lipstick style packages will not be allowed, and flavours such as menthol will be prohibited. Crucially the vote also allows countries to introduce plain packaging.

“The European Respiratory Society now calls on the Council of Ministers to swiftly adopt the text agreed by the Parliament.”

Notes to editors:

Founded in 1990, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) is a not-for-profit, international medical organisation. It is the largest society in Europe in its field, with more than 10,000 members in over 100 countries.

For more information, visit www.ersnet.org.

For more information on the Directive, visit http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/products/revision/index_en.htm.

For further information on the ERS and its tobacco control activities, please contact:
Pippa Powell
pippa.powell@europeanlung.org 
+44 1142 67 28 74