Central European coalition criticizes TPD
A joint declaration adopted May 17th by Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian agriculture ministers criticizes the European Commission’s draft Tobacco Products Directive, especially the proposed ban on slim and menthol cigarettes, reports Europolitics.
The ministers said that, if approved, the directive would hurt thousands of families that depend on tobacco cultivation for their living. They called on the Commission to “establish support instruments for producers which would compensate for losses incurred due to the implementation of the directive,” and “to guarantee an alternative for those who would like to withdraw from tobacco production.”
The ministers also opposed the proposal for cigarette health warnings to cover 75 percent of the surface area of packaging, saying this requirement would have negative consequences for the rights of brand owners and increase the possibility of fraud.
