Duitse Bondskanselier steunt rookverbod in openbare gelegenheden (en)

Germany may be on the way to becoming the latest EU country to ban smoking in public places after its chancellor on Monday (12 June) said she would back the move.

Angela Merkel's spokesperson indicated that the chancellor supports a move by one of her ministers, Horst Seefhofer, to ban smoking in restaurants, hospitals, airports, care centres and train stations.

Lothar Binding, a Social Democrat MP, told the Financial Times that "the odds for a ban have never looked so good".

However, the federal government in Berlin is unlikely to be able to issue a nation-wide smoking ban as the regions in Germany have powers in health and under new federalist reforms, they will also have competences for legislation concerning restaurants and bars.

The result is likely to be a patchwork of rules differing from region to region.

If the country does go down the ban route though, it will be not be the first. Ireland imposed the world's first nationwide smoking ban in public places in 2004. Malta followed with a similar ban later that year.

Sweden has banned smoking in restaurants, while Italy and Scotland have outlawed smoking in enclosed public spaces.