EU Charged with Serving Interests of Big Tobacco

BOSTON (November 14, 2001) -- With the next round of negotiations for the world's first public health treaty set to begin next week in Geneva, the European Union position on key issues in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is being roundly criticized by NGOs around the world. While a few European countries, most notably Sweden, have taken a leadership role in tobacco control, the European Union has adopted positions disturbingly sympathetic to transnational tobacco corporations. Corporate accountability and environmental organizations including Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Sweden, Critical Shareholders Association, Infact (US), and members of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals, are demanding the EU take a stronger stance on the FCTC. The treaty could set global standards on issues such as advertising and promotion, political influence, and the liability of tobacco corporations.

"While other countries and regions are advocating that the FCTC explicitly prioritize public health over trade and protect public policy from interference by tobacco transnationals, the EU is still catering to these corporations, which are labouring intensely to undermine the treaty," states Adam Ma'anit of Corporate Europe Observatory.

Since the last round of treaty talks in April, major transnational tobacco corporations Philip Morris, B.A.T, Japan Tobacco, and Reemstma have tried feverishly to derail progress. In Germany, the impact of tobacco industry influence is clear. Tobacco corporations, like Reemstma, have sponsored media parties attended by prominent politicians, including Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Tobacco industry influence has also permeated the highest levels of the EU. This fall, Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, attended a media party in Germany sponsored by a tobacco corporation. Germany has continued challenging EU directives on tobacco advertising and now the EU has taken a united position against an advertising ban in the FCTC negotiations.

"Tobacco transnationals are fighting for their continued ability to hook kids around the world with advertising and promotional schemes, and the EU is backing the industry in its resolve. In order to be effective, the treaty must address the root causes of tobacco addiction by eliminating images such as Philip Morris's Marlboro Man," says Suren Moodliar of Infact. The strongest position on the FCTC has come from the Global South, where the burden of the tobacco epidemic will hit hardest. Last month at a regional WHO meeting, African countries articulated a tough stance on the treaty's central issues in the "Algiers Declaration." In a bold challenge to tobacco transnationals, the African region denounced a recent tobacco industry proposal for self-regulation as an attempt to derail the FCTC.

According to Moodliar, "In Algiers, leaders of African nations stood up to Big Tobacco in an effort to protect Africa from the kind of tobacco epidemic that has already hit other areas of the world."

Henry Matthews of Critical Shareholders Association of Germany adds, "As home to B.A.T and Reemstma, the EU has a responsibility to support the African position and adopt a negotiating position that bans tobacco advertising and promotion; protects public health policy from interference by the tobacco transnationals; prioritizes public health over trade and investment; and includes strong monitoring and enforcement provisions."

The next round of negotiations on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is scheduled for November 22-28 in Geneva. "If the EU continues to please tobacco interests in the treaty process, countries should take bold steps to distance themselves from this position, in the interest of public health," states Emil Schön of Friends of the Earth Sweden.

Since 1977, Infact has been exposing life-threatening abuses by transnational corporations and organizing successful grassroots campaigns to hold corporations accountable to consumers and society at large.

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), is a European-based research and campaign group targeting the threats to democracy, equity, social justice and the environment posed by the economic and political power of corporations and their lobby groups.

Infact and Corporate Europe Observatory are members of the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), which includes 76 NGOs from 51 countries working for a strong, enforceable Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. For more information visit:

http://www.infact.org or http://www.iwr2001.org

• 109 Tobacco