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ERS and other health groups urge the European Commission to release recommendations on smoke-free environments

ERS and other health groups urge the European Commission to release recommendations on smoke-free environments - article image

31 January

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and other health groups, have called for the European Commission to release the expected Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. This was due for release today and should prioritise public health, but it has not materialised.

A statement issued by the organisations, which alongside ERS includes the European Society For Medical Oncology (ESMO), the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), highlights that this inaction follows recent findings of maladministration from the Ombudsman’s inquiry regarding European Commission meetings with tobacco lobbyists.

More specifically, the statement calls out the European Commission, noting that not releasing such recommendations is contradictory to their own plans to include the smoke free recommendation as part of a wider cancer prevention package.

“Our organisations collectively assert that this is an appalling lack of judgment; failure to recognise that preventing tobacco and novel tobacco products use should be key to Europe’s Beating Cancer plan. Without this focus, the targets of the cancer plan will simply not be met.”

Additionally, inaction is deemed to be detrimental to the aim of meeting commitments outlined under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control.

Read the statement in full

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