Monday 25 November 2013

Here we go again...EU e-cig regulation

****

You thought it was over. You thought the rush of common sense through the usually nonsensical MEPs meant that the job was done. Electronic cigarettes wouldn't be regulated as medicines. You'd be able to buy them form the local shop rather than require a prescription.

You were wrong. The regulatory zombie has crawled from out its tomb:

Late last week the European Commission circulated a confidential new proposal for regulating e-cigarettes.   The document was sent only to those negotiating the future of e-cigarettes behind closed doors in Brussels – representatives of the European Parliament and European Council.  This isn’t a final proposal, but it provides the negotiators with something to discuss.

And the something to discuss - as Clive Bates explains - will have this effect:

...if implemented this proposal bans every product on the market today and would severely limit options for future products - and may make it commercially unviable to develop in future.

It's almost as if EU officials actually want smokers to die.

So what do we do? It's back to the letter writing and campaigning again. Clive Bates provides a helpful guide to who you should contact - he suggests writing to your MP and MEP (providing useful links). I might add that there are European elections coming up next year so:

1. Write to your local paper saying you'll not support candidates who argue for excessive regulation
2. Contact local candidates (if you can find out who they are which might be tricky) to get their support

We only get one go at this - once the EU has regulated the direction is always one of more control, more rules. So sharpen your quills and go into battle!

....

No comments: