A new EPHA Position Paper on the possible impact of TTIP on the consumption of tobacco and the implications for public health.
Tobacco products are unique in the scale and severity of the public health impacts they cause worldwide. Tobacco products are toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and pharmacologically active, as well as being addictive by design.
International trade and investment agreements such as TTIP must be handled carefully to ensure that they do not lead to an increase in consumption of tobacco products, or a weakening of tobacco control measures. To ensure this, EPHA’s analysis makes 3 clear recommendations on Tobacco and TTIP to protect public health:
- TTIP must not lead to an increase in consumption of tobacco products by increasing their availability, affordability or attractiveness. This includes not removing EU tariffs on tobacco products unless they are compensated for by other measures such as increased taxes or excise duties.
- TTIP must be in line with the EU and Member State commitments to the WHO FCTC. This includes the Commission publishing an impact assessment of TTIP with regard to FCTC obligations; ensuring TTIP does not undermine existing tobacco control measures; and ensuring TTIP enables the further development of stricter tobacco control.
- The TTIP text must ensure that policy space for tobacco control measures is safeguarded. This includes guaranteeing that TTIP will not have a ’chilling’ effect on the freedom of governments to introduce new and stricter policies on tobacco control; not including ISDS or Investment Court System (ICS) mechanisms in TTIP; or if ISDS/ICS is to be included, carving out a guarantee of the margin of appreciation for governments in relation to public health.
