Council conclusions of 18 November 1999 on combating tobacco consumption
C 86/4 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 24. 3. 2000 COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS of 18 November 1999 on combating tobacco consumption (2000/C 86/03) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 1. EMPHASISING that Article 152 of the Treaty stipulates that a high level of health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities, and that therefore health risks should be in all matters relating to tobacco, taken into account including decisions in the field of the internal market, taxation and agriculture; 2. RECALLING the Council resolution of 26 November 1996 on European Community (1) which reviewed the actions taken in this field and which indicated guidelines for future action; reduction smoking the the of in in addition to the Directive on television 3. RECALLING, frontiers and to the Directives respectively on without labelling and tar content, the adoption of Directive 98/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws, regu- lations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products (2); 4. RECALLING Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 of 30 June 1992 on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco (3) which sets up a Community Tobacco Fund, and Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2427/93 of 1 September 1993 laying down detailed rules the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 with regard to the Community Fund for tobacco research and information (4); for 5. TAKING ACCOUNT of the Commission communication of and proposed 18 December 1996 on the present Community role in combating tobacco consumption; 6. TAKES NOTE of the Commission report of 8 September 1999 on progress achieved in relation to public health protection tobacco harmful consumption; from the effects of (1) OJ C 374, 11. 12. 1996, p. 4. (2) OJ L 213, 30. 7. 1998, p. 9. (3) OJ L 215, 30. 7. 1992, p. 70. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 660/1999 (OJ L 83, 27. 3. 1999, p. 10). (4) OJ L 223, 2. 9. 1993, p. 3. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1620/95 (OJ L 154, 5. 7. 1995, p. 12). 7. WELCOMES the the strengthening and comple- Commission proposal menting the existing provisions laid down in the Directives concerning the labelling and content of tobacco products; forthcoming for transmission of 8. NOTES that there remain significant differences between the tobacco control policies of the Member States; 9. CONSIDERS THAT combating tobacco consumption should be one of the priorities in the policies and activities of the Community and of Member States; 10. UNDERLINES the importance of focusing efforts on actions in priority areas identified in the Commission’s report, i. e. prevention of the take-up of smoking, assisting smokers who want to stop smoking, and protecting persons against involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke, and that within these action areas young people and women must be a particular priority; 11. UNDERLINES the necessity for developing an overall strategy comprising the following elements: - an effective system to monitor tobacco consumption, throughout the implementation of tobacco policies and their effects Community as well Community legislation, the as - a coordinated range of Community instruments and activities in all relevant policy areas, - strengthened cooperation between Member States, and - international cooperation, in particular with the World Health Organisation; 12. EMPHASISES in this context the importance of the planned framework Convention on Tobacco Control whose prep- aration was launched unanimously by the 52nd Assembly (1999) of the World Health Organisation; 13. URGES the Member States to support actively this overall strategy by their measures and to provide regular and complete information to the Commission; 14. INVITES the Commission, as a contribution to the overall strategy: - to propose a Council protection against smoke in public places and at the working place, recommendation aiming at involuntary exposure to tobacco 24. 3. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 86/5 - to activities incorporate tobacco consumption in the future action programme for public health taking into account the results obtained from the mid-term evaluations, reduce to - to foster the exchange of information between Member States on best practies and experiences developed in relation to the reduction of tobacco consumption, - to ensure the that tobacco funds prevention activities from the Community Tobacco Fund are used effectively in coordination with national health authorities, available for - to explore the possibility of protection of minors, conditions, sales Internet) and vending machines, including rules through electronic means initiatives aiming at selling for (the - to strengthen cooperation between health and other policy areas, such as the internal market and agri- culture, with the aim of ensuring a high level of health protection in these areas, - to examine measures in connection with tobacco taxation, which aim at ensuring its effective impact on reduction of tobacco comsuption and at preventing fraud and smuggling, - to promote tobacco control action in the context of cooperation with applicant countries, - to examine possibilities to include tobacco control measures in the framework of the New Transatlantic Agenda as well as in health cooperation with Canada; 15. INVITES the Commission to follow-up the development in this area and suggest new measures, when needed, and to report every two years on the work conducted and on the progress achieved