Tobacco advertising banned as from today

An EU directive banning tobacco advertising in newspapers and magazines, over the radio and on the Internet, comes into force today.

Malta is one of 12 EU member states warned by the Commission that they still haven't notified the Commission about the transposition of this directive into national law. Unless this is done, Malta would face legal procedures.

The EU's assault on smoking forbids tobacco sponsorship of cross-border cultural and sporting events, but cinema and local level billboard advertising will still be allowed. Tobacco advertising on TV is already illegal.

Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, responsible for health and consumer protection, said that banning tobacco advertising was one of the most effective ways of reducing smoking. He said that the directive would save lives and reduce the number of Europeans who suffered from smoking-related illnesses.

A report recently adopted by the Commission on implementation of the tobacco products directive found that its provisions on health warnings and maximum tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide were being respected.

However, public authorities have a very incomplete picture of the ingredients provided by the industry being used in cigarettes, their functions and their health effects on consumers. A consultation on how to make the disclosure rules on additives more effective will be launched in the autumn.

According to a World Bank study, bans on advertising can reduce smoking prevalence by up to seven per cent. The WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco control, for which the EU recently completed its ratification, has as one of its objectives a worldwide ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Around 650,000 people die each year in the EU from smoking-related diseases.

Despite the EU's efforts against smoking, the block is still providing a subsidy of €1 billion to tobacco production as part of the Common Agricultural Policy. However, this is also set to change and, according to a reform decided two years ago, there will be a gradual reduction of these subsidies in 2006 until a final ruling on specific tobacco subsidies in 2010.

The Commission said it would monitor member states' compliance with the legislation as from tomorrow.