It said in a statement after the vote that Parliament “failed to protect children and young people today,” and blamed the EPP and far-right groups for blocking “critical recommendations” to extend public bans against e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
As a result, the S&D group was “forced to vote against the watered-down resolution to preserve the integrity of smoke-free policies,” it said.
Tiemo Wölken, S&D coordinator for the environment, public health and food safety committee said: “It is cynical and scandalous that the EPP does not want to combat the number one cause of cancer and instead falls for the tobacco lobby’s rhetoric that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are harmless.”
Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, celebrated the vote, saying it “demonstrates that facts and consumer choice can prevail over fearmongering and overregulation, dealing a blow to the creeping nanny state mentality that has too often characterized EU regulations.”
It raises questions for next week’s meeting of health ministers, who were expected to sign off on an agreement on the recommendation.
So far, Italy and Romania have raised some concerns about the measure, according to a report from a pro-vaping outlet, but one Council health official had said before the Parliament vote that it was expected countries would find agreement when they meet on Dec. 3.
The official said the vote wouldn’t affect the Council’s position next week on the plan but it does “raise concerns” on the revision of the tobacco products directive, upcoming legislation which will require support from all EU institutions when it’s ultimately released by the Commission.
The Parliament’s outcome “is bad news,” the official added.
