He also denied the industry was overrepresented in meetings with lawmakers, saying, “There are a lot of consumers out there.” He encouraged NGOs to ask for more meetings to explain their point of view.
The Smoke Free Partnership said it had faced “significant pressure” on its resources due to the withdrawal of EU operating grants last year. “We have continued engaging with policymakers and coordinating independent public health expertise, but reduced funding means difficult choices about what activities can be prioritized,” it said, adding there was an imbalance between industry’s resources.
A spokesperson for Hadjipantela said he engages with a broad range of stakeholders as he’s a member of six committees. He “remains fully independent in his assessments and decisions,” the spokesperson said, adding: “Meeting with a stakeholder does not imply endorsement of their views or interests.”
Meanwhile, Nevado Del Campo said her meetings with tobacco representatives were because of the large number of tobacco producers in her region, and she had a duty to listen to the sector as it was a large employer. She also met with groups on the other side of the debate. “My commitment is with a healthy Europe and, at the same time, to those farmers who get up every day to work the fields of Extremadura and boost our regional economy.”
Fiocchi and Polfjärd did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
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A large number of meetings covered the tobacco taxation directive, which is currently making its way through the Council of the EU. The directive will put minimum taxes on nicotine and tobacco products and expand the definition of what is covered.