Tobacco Documents Online

BRITISH AMERi CAN TOBACCO Copy Request Form Request Number: Organization: Physicians for a smoke free Canada 18 II Request Details Request Date: ............................... ..~ ............................. File Number: ....~.~..~. ......... Box Number: ...... [...~...~.[. ...... Page Range: First Page Last Page Requested By: (Print Name) Details below will be filled in by Depository Staff Only Copy Details Copied By: .... ~~~'..... ~~.../~..~~..... .................... Date: ...~.~.~¢~'/~... ............. Time: ....~./.'~.~OE. ........... Copy Checked By: .......................................................... Date: ............................. Time: ......... ee * •e • • eo i, oeeeoe eelleeeee•oe • • III Delivery Details Checked By: . .. Date: ooooo o • ooo• 0• •• • •= •e ••o•o •o • • • •co o••e• e• • •e ••o•• • •••o Sent By: ................................ ... . ......Date: .................... BATCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

Note toEAAeruell Esq~'~ ~ )" )""-~-- "' "~6 I Z 7F.~I3 1986 i EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST CANCER; II . 3. 1 S. As I am sure you will recall in the past European ~ommunity activities on smoking control have tended to be hampered by ithe fact that Indlvidual countries have their own health systems, independent of the Community. It looks as if this barrier is now beij!g, ignored or overcome. ,6. In November the Commission proposed a draft Councll Resolution which was subsequently adopted by the Council of Ministers. The Resolution adopted said: "The Council hereby identifies the following objectives: i to halt the increase of cancer in the Community leading to a downward trend in both incidence and mortality from the disease ii to decrease the potential years of life lost from cancer." I attach excerpts from the details of the Resolution and the paragraphs in the Annexe relating to tobacco. Should you want the full six page text we have a copy here. The Resolution has strong support from the French Government who may now be concerned with other things, however, it will probably gather its own momentum. I think it can be assumed that this initiative ts timed to support the WHO Resolution on tobacco and indeed reference to the WHO is made under their heading International Collaboration. I attach a document from Bill Hill which includes a report by Douglas Herblson who is replacing Heyni9 in Brussels. The report also covers a list of 12 experts who have been appointed to the Committee and an internal document of the Commission in which I have highlighted certain points particularly those referring to tobacco. I think it is important to stress two points: a. they state that tobacco is the cause of more than one third of known cancer cases but b. they also stress that they are taking a far wider approach to the problem of cancer as a whole. INFOTAB and the various European NMAs are closely monitoring the events both in Brussels and in their individual countries. INFOTAB have a contact in ECOSOC (the European Economic and Soclal Committee). Heather Honour wrote to Dr Hans-Werner Klein and I attach a copy of his reply in Which he gives his opinion about any possible counter strategy. I think his approach is correct and believe that any activity needs to be carefully co-ordinated. co BATCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

-2- 7. . o 10. 11. 12. ! have spoken to Bill I(tll about the tax aspect. He, Douglas Herbtson and Edmund Knight are of the opinion that at this stage no mention of tax should be made in any lobbying that we do. They believe that the unification of tax is still a very considerable way down the road. It is extremely unlikely that tax wtll be used as a weapon in this cawaign and indeed it is not mentioned in the various points that have been suggested for the committee of experts to follow up. I think at present very careful monitoring is a most important activity. This should include trying to establish what the real support is for this campaign both in each individual European country and in the Co'mission. It would be helpful to establish the names of any important individuals who are taking a particularly strong llne. As Bill Hill mentions in his memo of 3 February addressed to Heather Honour, it mght prove very difficult for member states to be arguing against this initiative as it tackles cancer as a whole. As I mentioned earlier a whole range of other causes is listed. I believe, therefore, that perhaps one approach that could be developed by the industry is to reaffirm strongly our vlew that more research is needed and that hasty conclusions about the effect of any one activity are inappropriate. With this as a background we my be able to modify some of the more specific attacks against our industry. The possibility of the proposed Irish health warnings being applied in that country and subsequently spreading to the rest of Europe is of course very real. John Lepere who heads the Irish NMA is the current chairman of the group of European Nl~Jks and is taking a very close interest in the European initiative. The health ministers of the Community are due to meet on 29 May. It is believed that the report of the experts may well be on the agenda. It is therefore possible though not certain that their report would be ready by then, however this does seem fairly rapid for a document of this nature. What they may do is prepare some outline proposals. I have spoken to Ray Thornton about the list of experts and he will try to get some information. The names are not known to him although he has heard of Bleehen (UK) and Jensen (Denmark). It does not look as if It is a list specifically chosen for its anti-smoking convictions though obviously some, tf not all, the members may be against the tndustry. RLOE/PP 26 February 1986 0 BATCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999