Member states back new EU tobacco rules

Law will come into force in May.

European Voice, Cynthia Kroet, 14 March 2014

The European Union's member states today (14 March) gave final approval to a revision of rules on tobacco products that tighten the content and marketing of both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

The European Parliament had already given its approval in a vote last month so today's decision by the Council of Ministers – given without discussion at a meeting of transport ministers – means the new law can enter into force in May. Member states will then have two years to bring their national legislation into line with the revised EU law. This means that most of the new rules will apply from early 2016.

Tonio Borg, the European commissioner for health, said: “By ensuring that tobacco products look and taste like tobacco products, the new rules will help to reduce the number of people who start smoking in the EU.”

The tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris countered that: “The new rules will do little to improve public health and will make the EU less competitive, pushing even more consumers to the unregulated black market in tobacco.”

The new legislation requires bigger health warnings on packets of cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco. All characterising flavours, such as menthol, will be prohibited as will the sale of packs with fewer than 20 cigarettes.

The most controversial update concerned electronic cigarettes. Under the revised law, it is up to member states to decide whether to regulate e-cigarettes as medicinal (if they help smokers to quit) or as tobacco products. If the latter is the case, they will be restricted to the same rules as normal cigarettes.

Member states can prohibit internet sales of tobacco and related products. The new legislation introduces an EU-wide tracking and tracing system to help authorities fight illegal trade.

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy,Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) -(Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”