On Wednesday, the European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled “Call for a tobacco-free environment and Europe’s first tobacco-free generation by 2030”.
The organizers of the initiative asked the Commission to propose legislation to prevent new generations from falling into addiction to tobacco, to act against the associated environmental dangers and against smoking. Specifically, they ask the Commission to propose legal acts to end the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to citizens born from 2010.
The initiative also calls for specific measures to achieve tobacco- and cigarette-butt-free beaches and shorelines, create a European network of tobacco- and cigarette-butt-free national parks, expand vape-free outdoor spaces and eliminate advertising. for tobacco and its presence in audiovisual productions and social media.
As this European citizens’ initiative fulfills the formal conditions, the Commission considers that it is legally admissible. The Commission has not analyzed the substance of the proposal at this stage.
The registration decision is legal in nature and does not prejudge the Commission’s final legal and policy conclusions on this initiative and the steps it intends to take, if any, should the initiative gain the necessary support. The content of the initiative only expresses the point of view of the group of organizers and can in no way be taken to reflect the point of view of the Commission.
Next steps
The organizers have 6 months to open the signature collection. If a European citizens’ initiative receives 1 million statements of support in one year, from at least 7 different Member States, the Commission will have to react. The Commission may decide whether or not to comply with the request and will be required to explain its reasoning.
The European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once officially registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows 1 million citizens from at least 7 EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions of admissibility are as follows: (1) the proposed appeal does not manifestly fall outside the scope of the powers of the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and ( 3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.
Since the start of the ECI, the Commission has received 118 requests to launch a European citizens’ initiative, of which 91 were admissible and therefore likely to be registered.
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