Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 February 2013
202. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on the EU Draft Tobacco Products Directive; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that people have concerns that the directive will take away their right to use electronic cigarettes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6512/13]
View answerThe 2001 Tobacco Products Directive concerns the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products in the EU. Last December, following extensive consultation with stakeholders, including a public consultation, the Commission published a proposal for a new EU Tobacco Products Directive, the ultimate purpose of which is to reduce the numbers of people smoking. The proposal will be discussed in the European Parliament and Council of Ministers and the Commission has expressed the hope that it will be adopted in 2014.
Areas covered by the new proposal include ingredients and emissions, labelling and packaging, traceability and security features nicotine containing products and cross border distance sales of tobacco. The World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Report 'Control and Prevention of Smokeless Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes' noted that "there is growing concern internationally about the quality, safety and "regulatory gap"of these emerging products broadly called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems as they continue to penetrate new markets."
The proposal for a new EU Tobacco Products Directive stipulates that nicotine containing products, such as e-cigarettes that have a nicotine level exceeding 2 mg per unit or a nicotine concentration exceeding 4 mg per ml may be placed on the market only if they have been authorised as medicinal products on the basis of their quality, safety and efficacy and with a positive risk benefit balance. Nicotine containing products that have a nicotine level below this threshold can be sold as consumer products provided that they feature an adapted health warning. The intention is not to remove nicotine containing products from the market but to ensure that these new products are regulated effectively.
This proposal is the main health related priority for the Irish Presidency and I am strongly committed to making as much progress as possible.
