EU-voorzitter Litouwen blij met steun EP voor strengere tabaksrichtlijn (en)

Today, the Health Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis participated in the European  iParliament session in Strasbourg, where a vote on the changes of the Tobacco Products Directive (hereinafter - TDI) was held. Parliamentarians agreed upon the measures that will reduce smoking and strengthens EU citizens' health protection.

According to the Minister V. P. Andriukaitis, the results were anticipated: "We have consistently worked in this direction. A series of bilateral meetings, steady relationship with MEPs allowed uniting politicians whose priority was clear - the health of EU citizens. We have been waiting for the mandate to negotiate with the EP on the behalf of the Commission and we are ready for the adoption of the amendments to the TPD during the Lithuanian Presidency i of the EU Council”.

In the address V. P. Andriukaitis underlined that tobacco use is the largest single avoidable health threat in EU. The Minister said that early death as a result of tobacco is not only a personal tragedy and scourge on our society, but also has a very direct economic consequence. Premature deaths cost the EU more than 500 billion Euros every year.

The European Parliament approved such proposals as to ban mint and other flavours in cigarettes, known to be especially hazardous to health, with the derogation period of five years. Limitations on packaging shall take effect as well: cigarette, pipe, or rolled tobacco packets sides will have warnings about the damage these products do to health - and the warnings will take at least 65% of the both sides of the packet. However the European Parliament did not adopt the amendment suggesting that E-cigarettes should fall under pharmaceutical and not consumers’ legislation and opposed to the ban of slim cigarettes.

Parliamentarians participating in the session were affected by the Minister of Health V. P. Andriukaitis speech and met it with applause. The Minister V. P. Andriukaitis chose not the bureaucratic rhetoric, common at the European Parliament, but the emotional and personal approach. V. P. Andriukaitis revealed to the parliamentarians that two of his brothers died of the tobacco-related diseases, and reminded the representatives that they are responsible for the millions of Europeans who have experienced or will experience the suffering of death and disease as a result of smoking.