European Smoke Signal
February 14, 2007
The Irish did it, the Italians did it... even the French managed to pass a resolution to ban smoking in public places. But if the phrase "the road to European Unity is paved with good intentions" hasn't been coined yet, it may be just a matter of time.
The European parliament passed a New Year's resolution of sorts, agreeing to ban smoking in all its buildings on Jan. 1, 2007. But like many an overzealous reveler, it broke its vow just a short time later.
About face
"We have managed 43 days without tobacco," said Greens European parliamentarian Gerard Onesta, who is a member of the parliament's administrative office, where he was outvoted 12 to one on the move on Monday.
"A complete ban started on Jan. 1," a press officer for the EU Parliament in Strasbourg said. "In practice this was not working too well, people were not obeying it."
By caving in so swiftly on their own smoking ban, the European deputies are sending a "horrible political signal" at a time when smoking bans are spreading throughout the EU, as evidenced by France's ban on smoking in public places which came into effect this month, he added.
The step back to smoking could also be costly as it will require special air filters in the designated smoking area, said Onesta.
New membership
But the administrative body's change of heart may have more to do with its membership than with the difficulty of kicking the nicotine habit. The European parliamentary office that made the decision -- comprising the parliament's president and 12 vice-presidents -- has changed its complexion since a reshuffle in January.
Late last month the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, declared itself in favor of a smoking ban in public areas throughout Europe and launched a major debate on the need for bloc-wide legislation to bring it about.
"Smoke-free policies are very popular among the European citizens, and we have the polls, the numbers to prove that and not just among non-smokers but among smokers," EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said at the time.