European Parliament vote sees Conservative MEPs save electronic cigarettes from being taken off the shelves

Strasbourg, 8th October 2013 – Conservative MEPs have saved electronic cigarettes from being removed from shelves across Europe following a vote in the European Parliament today.

The European Commission sought to classify electronic cigarettes, which have become a popular method of helping people to quit smoking ordinary tobacco cigarettes, as a medicinal product. This would have led to the products being put through a rigorous and costly authorisation procedure after having been taken off shelves while ordinary tobacco cigarettes, which are much more harmful, remained available.

Conservative MEPs led the amendment to remove the classification of e-cigarettes as medicinal products in order to make them as widely available as possible. The other main results of the vote include the removal of a ban on slim cigarettes and the enlargement of health warnings on cigarette packets to 65% while still allowing room for effective trademarks to help counter illicit trading.

However, despite Conservative efforts, menthol cigarettes will be banned after an eight year transition period.

Speaking after the vote, Ms McClarkin said:

“Today’s vote is a victory for common sense as far as e-cigarettes are concerned. Hundreds of my own constituents have written to me telling me how effective these products have been in helping them quit smoking ordinary cigarettes. I am pleased that we can reduce the harm of smoking by continuing to allow e-cigarettes to be made as widely available as possible.

This is also a victory for small businesses, many of whom would have struggled to cope with the authorisation demands that the EU would have placed on them by classifying e-cigarettes as medicines. Doing otherwise would have cost people jobs.

However, I cannot hide my disappointment that within the decade, my constituents face the prospect of turning up at their local newsagents intending to buy menthol cigarettes and finding out they can’t thanks to todays vote. While I wholeheartedly agree that we need to find ways to stop young people from smoking, I don’t think that young people take up smoking due to menthol. This vote has reduced consumer choice and will only turn voters against the EU even more than before.”