Forty-eighth Regional Committee for Europe: Copenhagen, 14-18 September 1998: Committee for a Tobacco-free Europe

3* / ^ kN v W ORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONjjw g fB M i 9 4 8 R e g io n a l O ff ic e f o r E uropeS B f B g 1 9 9 8 Copenhagen REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPE Forty-eighth session, Copenhagen, 1 4 - 1 8 September 1998 Provisional agenda item 3(e) EUR/RC48/11 10 July 1998 04788 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH C o m m it t e e fo r a T o b a c c o -fr ee E u r o p e By resolution EUR/RC47/R8, the Regional Committee recognized the third Action Plan for a Tobacco-free Europe as a set o f basic principles for European Member States to follow and requested the Regional Director to report to the Regional Committee at its forty-eighth session on negotiations with other integrational, intergovernmental and nongovernmental partners regarding their participation in and the jointly agreed functions o f the Committee for a Tobacco-free Europe. A proposal concerning the Committee for a Tobacco-free Europe is accordingly presented to the Regional Committee for approval. EUR/RC48/11 page 1 I n t r o d u c t io n 1. A reduction in tobacco use is the single most important action that countries can take for both health and economic gain. One half o f all people who regularly smoke will die from cigarettes, half in middle age and half in old age. Tobacco is responsible for 1.2 million deaths (14% o f all deaths) each year in WHO’s European Region.1 It is predicted that, unless stricter measures are implemented, tobacco will be responsible for 2 million deaths (20% of all deaths) each year by 2020. According to the World Bank, tobacco products cause a net economic loss to the world of at least US $200 billion a year. 2. Determined and unprecedented action is required to protect public health from the harm done by tobacco. It is realistic and desirable to call for a significant and sustained reduction in daily smoking prevalence from the current level o f over 30% of adults in the European Region o f WHO. In particular, society needs to be mobilized to reduce exposure to tobacco smoke and to prevent an escalation in smoking by young people and women. This will require extensive media support and the introduction of a campaign for tobacco-free youth in Europe. Such action has received a significant boost following the European Union directive to ban all forms o f advertising and sponsorship o f tobacco products in the Community. ACTION PLAN FOR A TOBACCO-FREE EUROPE 3. In 1997, the European Member States of WHO endorsed the third Action Plan for a Tobacco-free Europe (1997-2001) as a basic set o f principles to follow. The Action Plan proposed that within each Member State intersectoral coordinating committees for tobacco control should be appointed by competent authorities no later than 1998, with the respective ministries o f health acting as secretariat. The coordinating committees should have responsibility for drawing up comprehensive action plans on tobacco, based on policies and programmes that have been demonstrated to be effective and taking into account gender perspectives. 4. The action plans should have clear timetables for implementation and specific age- and gender- based targets for reductions in tobacco use. If the targets for reductions in tobacco use are not met, additional measures should be considered. Tobacco taxes or a special levy on tobacco products can be used to finance the implementation o f the action plans. COMMITTEE FOR A TOBACCO-FREE EUROPE 5. To achieve more effective action than has been realized to date and to support the implementation of the Action Plan, the Member States decided that the WHO Regional Office for Europe should examine the possibility o f setting up, in collaboration with a number o f integrational, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, a Committee for a Tobacco-free Europe (CTE) to be in effect from 1 January 1999 for an initial period of five years. FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE 6. The CTE should be authoritative, inspiring, innovative and outspoken in order to create the political climate for action against tobacco. It should attract media attention and wide public support. The CTE should not be another bureaucratic body; nor should it replace the functions o f existing international 1 The European Region of WHO comprises 51 Member States and about 870 million people. The Region stretches from Greenland in the west to the Pacific shore of the Russian Federation in the east, and from the Arctic Circle in the north to the Mediterranean shore in the south. EUR/RC48/11 page 2 and national bodies. The CTE should lead opinion and mobilize groups of people with a high reputation to support action. The CTE should report on an annual basis to the Regional Committee. 7. The precise functions of the CTE should be agreed with the collaborating partners on the basis of proposals set out in the third Action Plan for a Tobacco-free Europe. During its lifetime, the CTE should sponsor a number o f short, hard-hitting reports and publications on tobacco control issues, mobilize media support and action for tobacco control, and mobilize resources for a well funded campaign for tobacco-free youth in Europe. 8. In line with global policy and the increased emphasis on tobacco control, the CTE should advise on and actively support international aspects o f tobacco control policy as they affect the Region. The CTE can lead the Region in the development and implementation of the International Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. The CTE should provide guidance for the preparation of a WHO ministerial conference on tobacco, proposed for the year 2001. The CTE should also have the responsibility for regularly reporting on the implementation o f country-based action plans. M e m b e r s h ip o f t h e C o m m it t e e 9. The CTE should comprise up to two representatives designated by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, initially for a two-year period, and - subject to the agreement of the respective institutions to being members o f the CTE - senior representatives designated by the WHO Regional Office, the European Commission, the World Bank, the International Nongovernmental Coalition Against Tobacco, the International Union Against Cancer, the Association of European Cancer Leagues, and the European Network for Smoking Prevention as an umbrella for European nongovernmental organizations. The CTE should also comprise up to four authoritative individuals named by the Regional Director representing the entertainment, advertising, media, business and legal fields, as well as one or two leading scientists. C h a ir o f t h e C o m m i t t e e 10. To inspire the work of the CTE and to attract media attention it is proposed to approach a charismatic and public figure from the health, entertainment, business or political community to be the Chair of the CTE, appointed by the Regional Director initially for a two-year period. A vice-chair would be chosen by the CTE from among its members. S e c r e t a r ia t t o t h e C o m m it t e e 11. The WHO Regional Office for Europe will offer to act as the principal technical instrument and secretariat o f the CTE. The Regional Office can support the work of the CTE through its international networks, its information database and its research and science base for effective policy. F u n d in g o f t h e C o m m it t e e 12. The WHO Regional Office for Europe will cover the secretariat costs o f the CTE. It is envisaged that member organizations and host countries or organizations will cover the costs o f their own representatives at committee meetings. Additional resources will be raised to cover any specific action the Committee may advise, e.g. publications, media events, campaigns. EUR/RC48/11 page 3 T im e t a b l e o f t h e C o m m it t e e 13. It is proposed that the CTE should be effective from 1 January 1999 with an initial lifespan of five years. It is suggested that the CTE meets once or twice a year for short, focused meetings, each of 1-2 days duration. The work o f the CTE would continue between meetings through correspondence and video­ conferencing.