For a life without tobacco; for an EU full of tobacco producers

This is a theme we've looked at in the past, but just to remind readers of the absurdity of the situation we shall return to it. The European Commission has just launched "a new and innovative animated web series called Helpisodes" as part of its €72 million 'HELP - For a life without tobacco' campaign.

The Commission's press release explains that, "A total of 12 Helpisodes have been created. Each episode is one and half minutes long with the exception of the `pilot' which introduces the main characters (Helpers) and how they came to be together and were transformed into anti- smoking super heroes...The aim of these absurd and, above all, humorous Helpisodes is to communicate with young people in a language they understand and appreciate".

This is all a bit weird and over-the-top - like so many other Commission initiatives aimed at the younger generation (see the previous post for another example). But we're in no position to pass judgement on whether or not it works (it's no doubt a worthy cause). But is this really a job for the European Commission?

Remember, this is the same institution that - with the help of the farming lobby, the European Parliament and several member states - spent €293 million in 2008 to subsidise tobacco producers in the EU.

In other words: the European Commission spends €365 million on various tobacco programmes. €72 million of this sum is aimed at fighting tobacco while €293 million of it goes to promoting tobacco. To add to the mix, the EU has introduced tough regulations on cigarette advertising, including the “smoking kills” warning labels on cigarette packets. And in the latest twist, the Commission is now calling for an EU-wide ban on smoking in public places by 2012.

No wonder people are confused as to what the EU is all about...

Massive hypocrisy (part 188)

According to the Press Association MEPs have today voted to increase the amount of subsidies you and me pay each year to "hard-pressed" tobacco farmers. As the global credit crunch starts to bite and rising food and petrol prices hit your daily budget I'm sure you'll be as pleased as we are that more than €300 million a year of our taxes will continue to be spanked on producing a crop which killed over 500,000 people in Europe last year.

In the perverse world that is the EU, farmers are paid £5,250 a hectare to grow tobacco while wheat farmers receive £240 a hectare.

In the UK alone the NHS spends £1.5bn a year treating people with smoking related diseases and the government spends around £30m on anti-smoking education campaigns and £40m is spent helping people stop smoking. No contradictions there then...

Last year the Government claimed the EU had seen the light and that tobacco subsidies would end in 2010, but the clowns in the European Parliament have just voted to extend tobacco farmer's gravy train until at least 2012.

The issue will now go to an agriculutural ministers meeting where no doubt the UK Government will defend our interests admirably (remember that root-and-branch review of the CAP that Blair promised us in return for our rebate anybody?)

Other news just in which helps to confirm that Brussels really is on another planet: today is the launch of European Maritime Day which "will highlight the importance of the oceans and seas to Europe". This from the organisation which has admitted that its very own Common Fisheries Policy is "morally wrong" and is single handedly responsible for destroying some of the richest fishing stocks in the world?

Apparently this great day is going to be a celebrated with a "stakeholders conference" in Brussels. Hurrah! Cohibas all round...

Tough on smokers, (not so) tough on the causes of smokers

Is the EU attempting to pull off some sort of cunning triangulation strategy on smoking?

1) Yesterday EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou announced that he wanted to create a "smoke free Europe". He called for smoking in public places to be outlawed across the continent within 2 years.

2) Last week the British Government tells parliament that the EU spent nearly €1 billion on tobacco subsidies in 2006. EU subsidised farmers grew enough tobacco to produce over 7 million fags.

Perhaps - given that over half of the EU's fags were dumped on developing countries - the EU (like BAT) has moved on and is now happy poisoning non-Europeans instead.