Vandenbroucke takes another jab at slow EU action on tobacco, alcohol

Editorial word: Vandenbroucke takes another hit at slow action

By Amalie Holmgaard Mersh

“Prevention is very much about consumption. Consumption is about what is on the market. When you say market you say EU,” Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said from the stage at the event Future of the European Health Union on Tuesday (26 March).

“So the role of the EU in creating an environment, a market, that promotes a healthy lifestyle is key,” Vandenbroucke continued, emphasising that he is “really waiting for more initiative here with regard to tobacco and alcohol that is on the internal market”, calling it “an internal market competence.”

Clear action on tobacco and alcohol was promised in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in 2021.

In January, the revision of the 2009 EU Council recommendation on smoke-free environments was delayed again. Similarly, the revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive originally in the pipeline for 2021, has been delayed to 2025.

Alcohol’s cancer risk was also meant to be addressed, however, this has also been watered down, most recently in connection with the European Parliament’s health sub-committee’s report on non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

This was sharply criticised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), who reiterated earlier this month the strong link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption.

Not long after the EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly found maladministration in the European Commission’s meetings with tobacco lobbyists, Vandenbroucke directly linked the lack of action on tobacco with “powerful industry interests at the cost of Europeans’ health”.

At Tuesday’s event, Vandenbroucke was back at it, saying the business models of the industries were made “to exploit our human weakness”.

“This should be a wake-up call for the EU. It’s their moral duty, given the essence of their competences, to work on this,” he concluded.

According to the Commission, the action on tobacco will come in the next mandate, following June’s EU elections.

EU News

• EU biotech initiative to position EU as a global leader
• Germany legalises cannabis at federal level
• France wants the green light to ban disposable e-cigarettes
• EU Parliament’s pharma revision compromise “a mixed bag”
• Increased mortality from tuberculosis during the Covid-19 pandemic

• EU biotech initiative to position EU as a global leader. In a communication presented on Wednesday (20 March), the European Commission unveiled actions meant to drive Europe’s biotechnology and biomanufacturing forward. Biotech is facing numerous challenges, despite being of vital importance for important sectors such as health, agrifood, and environment. The Commission’s initiative lists a set of actions to keep Europe in the lead. Amalie Holmgaard Mersh has more.
  
• Germany legalises cannabis at federal level. After numerous delays, the planned legalisation of cannabis consumption in Germany has passed its last major obstacle – the Bundesrat (Federal Council). However, further resistance at the local level is anticipated. Kjeld Neubert has the details.
• France wants the green light to ban disposable e-cigarettes. The French parliament reached an agreement on Thursday (21 March) to ban so-called ‘puffs’, single-use electronic cigarettes. The prohibition will be expected to come into force, at the end of September, according to Green MP Francesca Pasquini, who initiated the law. The French future bill now needs the green light from the EU Commission. Clara Bauer-Babef covered the story.
• EU Parliament’s pharma revision compromise “a mixed bag”. Health organisations remain concerned about issues such as regulatory data protection and innovation incentives, following the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee’s (ENVI) compromise on the revision of the EU pharmaceutical legislation. Get the reactions here.
• Increased mortality from tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.On Thursday (21 March), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO Europe published a report documenting the reports of nearly 7,000 excess deaths from tuberculosis (TB) in the WHO European region from 2020-2022. This stresses the long road ahead to reach targets for TB reduction. Read more here.
  

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[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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