Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-05-Speech-2-055"
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"en.20020205.4.2-055"2
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"Mr President, it is obvious to us, too, that increased prices lead to a drop in the consumption of tobacco products, particularly cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco. The situation in the United States and Sweden, where excise is very high and consumption relatively low, illustrate this trend, as well as a study conducted by the World Bank. In two previous resolutions from 1996 and 1997, the European Parliament left no doubt as to the fact that it is seeking an upward harmonisation of tobacco prices by means of increased excise duty. As the Commission proposes in the explanatory note, the new minimum excise amount in euros for cigarettes is based on the average excise yield in the Member States, namely EUR 90 per 1 000 cigarettes and subsequently reduced to EUR 70 per 1 000 cigarettes in order to prevent the majority of the Member States from having to increase their excise duties. It is, in this connection, once again worth mentioning that the excise yield in nine Member States is even more than EUR 70 per 1 000 cigarettes. This is why my group is opposed to a further reduction.
In our view, Commissioner Bolkestein’s proposal is a big improvement on the current situation. He already mentioned health aspects during previous discussions a few months ago. We would like to further reinforce this aspect. We have tabled a number of amendments, in conjunction also with Mr Blokland. Firstly, there is the VAT issue in respect of which the rapporteur has submitted proposals which we support. Secondly, we believe that this matter should be firmly placed in the context of existing negotiations in the World Health Organisation. We are of the opinion that more should be done to combat differences in smuggling prices, since they form one of the reasons for fraud and smuggling, although they are not the only reason. In our view, a system should be considered during the four-yearly review by means of which the use of more harmful products can be discouraged. In the final analysis, and I am taking this opportunity to repeat what I have said before, it remains an unacceptable anomaly, on the one hand, to increase the excise duty on tobacco products, although partly for health reasons and, on the other hand, to continue to heavily subsidise tobacco growing in the European Union."@en1
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