Community Tobacco Fund: information programmes

In order to support action to discourage smoking, the European Union (EU) finances producer training and conversion measures.

ACT

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2182/2002 of 6 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2075/92 with regard to the Community Tobacco Fund [See amending acts].

SUMMARY

The Community Tobacco Fund was established in 1992 by the Regulation on the common organisation of the market in raw tobacco. It finances measures with a view to:

• improving knowledge of the harmful effects of tobacco and appropriate preventive and curative measures;
• directing Community production towards other crops or other job-creating economic activities.

Information programmes

The Fund finances information programmes designed to improve the public’s understanding of the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, including projects to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco consumption, to prevent and stop people from smoking, and to disseminate the results achieved by such projects. Natural and legal persons submitting projects accept the conditions laid down in this Regulation, including the commitment to contribute at least 25 % of the total financing needed for the project out of their own resources.

As regards information programmes, the Commission manages the Fund, assisted by a scientific and technical committee.

The independent experts responsible for evaluating the submitted projects check that they comply with certain conditions. For example, projects must make provision for a partnership linking natural or legal persons established in several Member States, adapting cultural and linguistic variables accordingly.

Once a project is selected for financing, a contract governs the relationship between the Commission and the natural or legal person who submitted it. The Regulation includes a detailed description of what must be included in the contract.

Conversion measures

The Fund has financed:

• individual measures to encourage diversification in the activities of tobacco-growing holdings, through producer training and the creation of marketing structures for quality products other than tobacco;
• general interest measures including studies on the opportunities to switch production to other crops or activities, guidance for producers who give up tobacco production, and innovative experiments for demonstration purposes.

The last conversion measures funded were submitted in 2006.

RELATED ACTS

Directive 2001/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2001 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products [Official Journal L 194 of 18.7.2001]. With a view to ensuring a high level of health protection, this Directive contains provisions on the tar yield of cigarettes, tobacco for oral use, and the labelling of tobacco products.

Commission Decision 2003/641/EC of 5 September 2003 on the use of colour photographs or other illustrations as health warnings on tobacco packages [Official Journal L 226 of 10.9.2003]. The objective of this Decision is to lay down rules for the use, on cigarette packets, of colour photographs or other illustrations showing the effects of smoking on health. It constitutes a follow-up to Directive 2001/37/EC on tobacco products, which already requires the size of health warnings on packaging to be increased. However, the use of shock images in addition to messages is not compulsory.

Last updated: 12.10.2007