EU: Directive Adopted This Week

Barring unforeseen setbacks the formal adoption of the Directive banning tobacco advertising should take place on 12 February during the next EU Research Council meeting in Brussels. Germany (which had voted against the political agreement reach on a common position at the Health Council on 4 December) is behind the slight delay in the formal adoption of this Directive. Germany’s publishers are lobbying hard to prevent the Directive from being confirmed; there are reports that the German Health Ministry is seeking to convince Greece and Portugal to break ranks with the Directive’s supporters.

Werner Langen MEP (Christian Democrat) has written to EC Commissioner Franz Fischler and to the President of the EU Court of Auditors to request that they verify press reports that Greece might not have to repay subsidies illegally paid to its tobacco sector, equivalent to DM 400 million, in return for Greek support of the tobacco advertising ban at the Health Council last December. “If the Council majority has been reached in this way, then it must go back on its decision,” said Mr Langen. “If a deal was done, then this calls into question the validity of the Council’s decision,” he added. The EC has denied the existence of any ‘secret agreement’ between the Commission and Greece.