SMOKE FREE PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

Brussels, 16 December: the latest 2021 edition, of the SFP infographic on tobacco industry presence in the EU policy-making environment is out.

Brussels, 13 December 2021: Read the latest policy updates of the Smoke Free Partnership and the Coalition partners.

Brussels, 7 December 2021: the new EU Tobacco Industry Index released by SPF today, with the support of ENSP, EPHA, CEO and ECL, shows revived efforts by the tobacco industry to influence the EU policy making process.

The Policy Officer supports the implementation of the SFP strategy and annual work plans. S/he will work closely with the SFP Director within a small team and will have policy campaign responsibilities. S/he will have a responsibility to execute SFP’s communications strategy and will represent SFP and its positions externally.

The Communications and Policy Officer supports the implementation of the SFP multi-annual strategy and annual work plans. S/he will work closely with the SFP Director within a small team and will have cross-cutting responsibilities to support the communication of SFP’s work towards its stakeholders. S/he will have a responsibility to coordinate SFP’s communications strategy and will represent SFP and its positions externally.

This event launching the EU Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021 aims to raise awareness of the renewed efforts by the tobacco industry to influence the decision-making process at EU level. The event will take place on 2 December, 11:00am Brussels time.

Brussels, November 2021: the TPD as adopted in 2014 contributed significantly to improving the functioning of the internal market and implementing the FCTC at EU level to reduce tobacco use. However, new market and legislative developments in the EU gave rise to new challenges to the functioning of the internal market and to the protection of public health, which must be addressed through the revision of the current Directive. 

The SFP Spotlight on Article 20 of the WHO FCTC focuses on the overall importance of tobacco control research for FCTC implementation and necessary steps on including tobacco control in the European research field. The Spotlight also examines Horizon Europe due to the nature of tobacco as a risk factor that must be taken into consideration as part of EU research on policy development and implementation.

Brussels, 02 November:The European Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021 analyzes how 16 countries in the WHO European Region and the institutions of the European Union are affected by tobacco industry, and how far they have progressed in the implementation of Article 5.3 and its Guidelines that were unanimously adopted.

On 15-16 June 2021, the European Commission organized the 14th edition of European Development Days (EDD). This year the event took place virtually , focusing on “The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future,” with the objective to stress the interconnection between climate change and public health.

On the occasion of a special policy dialogue focusing on the Tobacco Products Directive, the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), the European Heart Network (EHN), the European Lung Foundation (ELF), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP), teamed up to formulate concrete recommendations to EU policy makers towards delivering effective policies to protect in the best way possible children’s and young people’s health from tobacco and to achieve a sustainable tobacco-free future.

On 6 July, SFP Director Anca Toma took part in the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) ‘Tobacco Control and Cancer series: Building capacity for policy change’.

It is high time to beat plastic pollution, including cigarette filters.

The following article is authored by the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and was originally published on the FCA website. The article was produced following the European Development Days (EDD) 2021 where FCA and SFP co-organised a session titled 'Harnessing tobacco control’s contributions to a greener economy'.

Brussels, 29 June 2021: The MEPs Against Cancer Interest Group, the MEP Heart Group, the MEP Lung Health Group and the Smoke Free Partnership held a special policy dialogue on ‘Europe’s path to the Tobacco Products Directive 3.0’ on Tuesday 29 June 2021 from 11:00 – 13:00 CEST. 

A RECORDING OF THE SESSION IS AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJIyzEJ4B4w

Brussels, 23 June 2021: Our newly published paper contains SFP’s policy proposals for the revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive 2011/64/EU.

The Smoke Free Partnership and the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention with the support of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe hosted a World No Tobacco Day 2021 conference on 8 June 2021 (14:00 CET). The conference “Tobacco free policy-making for a tobacco free Europe” focused on exposing, discussing, and counteracting tobacco industry efforts against tobacco control progress.

Brussels, 31 May 2021 – SFP welcomes the implementation report on the EU Tobacco Products Directive and calls for a swift and efficient revision of its provisions, to help achieve the ambition for a  tobacco free generation.

Brussels, 20 May 2021: SFP welcomes the implementation report on the EU Tobacco Products Directive and calls for a swift and efficient review of its provisions, which will further help a decrease in tobacco use.

The European Commission consultation focused on updating the rules for tobacco and alcohol bought abroad and improving the misuse of existing cross-border arrangements for such purchases.

Brussels, 15 March 2021: SFP provided a reply to a public consultation on a roadmap on 'Fighting organised crime – EU strategy for 2021-25 '. Illicit trade of tobacco is a major source of revenue for Organised Crime Groups.