Advisability of revising the rules on transparency in order to bring them into line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

18.12.2019

Question for written answer E-004485/2019
to the Commission
Rule 138
Manuel Bompard (GUE/NGL)

Directive 2014/40/EU (the Tobacco Directive) is due to be revised in 2021. We need some strong institutional safeguards: the first step in the procedure for revising the Tobacco Directive must be a comprehensive rethinking of the rules on cigarette company lobbying, which must be extended to their law firms, their external communications and public relations advisers and the associations which represent them.

Accordingly, will the new Commission undertake to revise Decisions 2014/839/EU and 2014/838/EU on the publication of information on meetings held between Directors-General of the Commission and organisations or self-employed individuals, to bring their provisions into line with Article 5(3) of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention, according to which ‘in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry’?

Will the Commission publish all the proceedings, exchanges, documents, letters and emails, appointments and arguments which come, directly and indirectly, from the tobacco industry and are addressed to its members or directors-general?