EU Outsources Key Tobacco Control Responsibilities to Third Parties

The European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) has stated that the EU has outsourced key responsibilities for tobacco control to unelected organizations. ETHRA coordinates the actions of consumer groups and advocacy organizations throughout Europe. The organization warns that this has raised concerns about accountability and potential conflicts of interest.

EU officials had issued a tender notice for the "Support Action for the Tobacco Control Sector Single Framework Contract" earlier. Recently, they announced that the process has been completed and three contractors have been appointed.

The Spanish research and consultancy firm, Open Evidence, ...

The European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP)

Crete University

ETHRA has released a publicly available report which states that as part of their contribution, they will lead an "international consortium". This consortium will include the UK's ICF consultancy company, Brussels-based Milieu legal and policy consultancy, and Vital Strategies funded by Michael Bloomberg.

According to the Consumer Association, the contract will last for four years and is worth 3 million euros (approximately 22.03 million yuan).

According to the statement from ETHRA, the contractor's job will include:

Gather scientific literature, research, or clinical evaluations related to one or more tobacco or nicotine themes.

2. Statistical, market, and measurement analyses related to one or more tobacco or nicotine themes.

Tobacco Control Policy Model,

Behavioral research and analysis of specific issues.

Support for comprehensive health warnings,

Support for tobacco and related product labelling and packaging.

7. Restrictions on ingredients and related content/emission standards.

Support technological investment in information system development.

Conduct a legal assessment for the tobacco control measures of the European Union, countries, and international organizations.

The European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) stated that the introductory notes in the tender specifications of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) provide the legislative background of the EU's tobacco control policies, with the goal of achieving a "smoke-free tobacco generation" by 2040.

To achieve this goal, the plan is to revise the Tobacco Products Directive, which includes measures such as "implementing plain packaging and banning flavors in a completely transparent manner, improving the evaluation of ingredients through existing EU institutions, expanding taxes to new tobacco products, and addressing tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship on the internet and social media.

According to the author of the document, there are concerns about the regulatory framework of the European Union. Currently, there is no systematic approach to dealing with all new tobacco and emerging products, and there is also a lack of flexibility to address rapidly developing products.

Advocates for reducing the harm of tobacco in Europe say, "This appears to be a daunting task for contractors. More importantly, it signifies that the policy-making responsibilities of the European Commission are now being outsourced to third parties. Accountability issues arise as well: when EU member states receive proposals to amend existing legislation, how do they know which proposals come from responsible officials and what role external actors played in shaping EU legislation?

Another issue is the potential conflict of interest with the winning bidder group. Of course, when it comes to the tobacco industry, they have a responsibility to declare that they have no conflict of interest in the tobacco industry. However, their work may have potential conflicts with other industries, such as the pharmaceutical industry that we may not be aware of.

References:

Efforts to Lobby on Behalf of Tobacco Industry The European Union (EU) has been found to be subcontracting its efforts to control tobacco, potentially undermining efforts to combat smoking. Investigations have discovered that the EU is employing companies which have links to the tobacco industry, leading to allegations of lobbying on behalf of the sector. The subcontractors are tasked with implementing tobacco control policies to be carried out across EU member states. Critics have voiced concern that this conflict of interest could threaten progress in reducing rates of smoking across Europe.