The European Union’s commissioner for health and consumer protection, Mr David Byrne, has stated that he will not be introducing community-wide legislation on tobacco in the workplace.
He made his comments at an EU conference in Cork—“Promoting heart health, a European consensus”—in response to a threat by hospitality industry sources that such EU legislation would be used as the basis for a challenge to the smoking ban that is due to come into effect in Ireland on 29 March.
“I am not bringing forward legislation on this issue,” he said. “In fact, I am coming to the conclusion that the smoking issue is best dealt with by each member state. While it is my strong ambition to see a reduction in smoking throughout the EU, this is best done at member state rather than community level”.
Ireland will be the first country in Europe to implement a total workplace smoking ban. Originally scheduled for 1 January 2004, it was delayed pending completion of a mandatory six month EU review period for national legislation of this nature. Both Malta and Norway are due to introduce workplace smoking bans later this year, with other European states considering similar action in 2005.
The smoking ban has been fiercely resisted by the hospitality industry in Ireland, which fears that it will drive customers from bars and hotels. It has won wide support, however, from trade unions (including the Irish Medical Organisation) and non-governmental health organisations.