Joint Action on Tobacco Control

ended

Smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption are considered the single most important cause of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Efforts to reduce the devastation of tobacco-related deaths and illness in the EU consist of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The TPD lays down rules governing the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products. The TPD stipulates that Member States shall require manufacturers and importers of tobacco products to submit to their competent authorities information, via a common entry gate (EU-CEG) – an IT tool designed to ensure uniform application of the reporting and notification obligations, harmonise the submission of data, facilitate comparison and reduce administrative burden. The general objective of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control will be to provide support for the implementation of the TPD throughout the 28 EU MS through the mining of EU-CEG data, supporting of laboratory collaborations and effort to evaluate priority additives. The specific aims of the project are: • To ensure appropriate coordination and evaluation • To support the dissemination of information to the public, regulators and researchers. • To enhance the ease of access to the data collected through the EU CEG • To monitor and provide support to the tasks of tobacco and e-cigarette product regulation • Assist EU MS networking and collaborations between laboratories for tobacco evaluation. • Support EU MS in the process of monitoring and updating priority additives • To integrate the JATC results into national policies With the above in mind, this proposal comes at a perfect timing to aid the regulatory activities that would be needed across the EU MS with regards to the implementation of the TPD across 28 EU MS spanning a population of 508 Million people.