The EU Legal Affairs Committee has put forward a series of amendments arguing that the Tobacco Advertising Directive should be restricted to cross-border advertising and should not interfere with marketing campaigns run in individual member states.
The proposals, which would render the Directive useless, have alarmed anti-smoking pressure groups, who believe the Directive could be delayed by many months or scuppered altogether. Andrew Hayes, EU liaison officer for the Association of European Cancer Leagues, said: "The intention of these amendments is to wreck the entire Directive."
It had been hoped that the legislation would come into force early next year, but the amendments will now have to be considered at a plenary session next month. The delay will not impact the UK Tobacco Advertising Bill, which is set to become law in the new year.
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