EU’s tobacco plans upset representatives of US tobacco states

The EU faces fierce opposition from Kentucky’s Republican Senator, Mitch McConnell, over its efforts to amend its Tobacco Products Directive, according to a Dow Jones story.

In a sharply worded letter, the Senate minority leader has warned the EU its proposed restrictions on tobacco marketing would violate international trade rules and harm trade relations with the US.

Along with three other senators from tobacco states, McConnell pointedly reminded the EU that his legislative body would pass judgment on any US trade accord with Brussels.

The letter, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, said the four senators had serious concerns about the tobacco proposal and its impact on trans-Atlantic trade relations. As the Senate considered the potential US-EU free trade agreement, the tobacco proposal called into question the EU’s ability to deliver on regulatory commitments to the US that it would have to make under the agreement, they added.

A spokesman for Tonio Borg, the EU health commissioner, denied trade relations would be hurt.

And replying to the senators, the EU ambassador in Washington, Joao Vale de Almeida, said the proposed measures were consistent with the EU’s international commitments. And this was expected to be the case in respect of the EU’s future engagement in the US-EU trade pact.