MEPs vote for wave of tobacco regulation
The European parliament has passed a host of anti-tobacco regulations. The parliament on Tuesday backed proposals to increase the size of cigarette warnings on cigarette packs to 65 per cent. This was however lower than the original 75 per cent proposed by Labour MEP Linda McAvern. The current EU standard for health warnings, covers 30 per cent of the pack and are text only.
The vote also marks the end of packets containing only ten cigarettes. The parliament voted that the minimum size for a packet of cigarettes will be 20. MEP's also refused to exempt menthol cigarettes from a ban on flavoured tobacco, but have allowed a five year period before the ban comes into force.
The draft tobacco directive was not passed wholesale. MEPs rejected the proposals by the European Commission to regulate e-cigarettes as medical products and a ban on slimline cigarettes was also rejected.
All 28 countries in the European Union will be subject to the new regulations. The tobacco directive could become law as early as 2014.