Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-11-25-Speech-3-389"
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"en.20091125.24.3-389"2
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"Firstly, I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs of all the political groups for their joint work and the effort they have made in order to be able to table a joint resolution in such a short time. I would also like to thank the secretariat of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the secretariat of my group and my assistant for their support. They have all been outstanding.
On behalf of the Committee on the Environment, I will begin by expressing my regret that the Swedish Presidency has decided to finalise this dossier without waiting for Parliament’s report. This attitude shows an unacceptable disregard for those elected by Europe’s citizens. Hence the question that I put to it on behalf of the Committee on the Environment: can the Council confirm its intention to adopt conclusions on this subject in the Council of 1 December 2009, despite Parliament’s timetable? What are the reasons for the Council to rush into adopting the recommendation without the European Parliament’s opinion? Since Parliament was consulted on the Commission’s proposal, is the Council prepared to take Parliament’s view into account when drafting the Council’s conclusions?
It should be noted that the Committee on the Environment supports the objectives of the recommendation, since tobacco is still the leading cause of death and disease in the European Union. The Committee on the Environment would therefore like its timetable to have been respected, which would allow for a thorough debate to be held on the issue and for Parliament to adopt a position.
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, also known as passive smoke, is a significant additional cause of death, disease and disability in the European Union. Passive smoke contains more than 4 000 gaseous compounds and particles, including 69 known carcinogens and many toxins. There is no safe level of exposure to passive tobacco smoke. The most conservative estimates indicate that many thousands of people die every year because of passive smoke, and it therefore also puts significant burdens on the economy, in terms of direct medical costs, and also indirect costs associated with lost productivity.
Considerable progress has been made in recent years in establishing smoke-free environments in several Member States. To date, more than a third of Member States have adopted wide-ranging legislation prohibiting smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces. However, there are still significant differences in the level of protection against exposure to tobacco smoke within the EU. For example, workers in the hotel and catering sector make up an occupational group that is particularly vulnerable to the lack of global protection in most Member States and the exceptionally high concentration of tobacco smoke in bars and restaurants.
At EU level, the issue of smoke-free environments has, up to now, been the subject of several non-binding resolutions and recommendations which do not provide detailed guidelines on how to set up smoke-free environments. The issue also appears in a number of directives adopted in the area of occupational health and safety, but is only addressed indirectly in some cases and does not guarantee an adequate level of protection in others.
I would point out that Article 8 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which, to date, has been ratified by 26 Member States and by the Community, obliges all parties to guarantee effective protection against exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces and enclosed public spaces and on public transport.
We believe that only a total ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces, including the catering and hotel sector, public buildings and public transport, will be able to ensure protection of the health of workers and non-smokers, and will encourage smokers to stop smoking.
I will end by saying that we hope that the Council takes account of this resolution, which, we hope, will be adopted by Parliament tomorrow."@en1
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