My reply from my MEP:
Dear Mr xxxxxxx
Thank you for your writing to me to express your concerns over the
Commission's proposal for Article 18 of the Tobacco Products Directive. I
understand your worries of how e-cigarettes will be affected if limits are
placed on flavours, refillable cartridges and the strength of liquid
available.
The Conservative Group in the European Parliament voted to reject the
medicinal route proposal and opted to keep e-cigarettes accessible to the
public. Now that the Parliament has voted, we have entered the Trialogue
stage in which the Parliament, the Council and the Commission work to find
compromises between our differences.
In order to try and find common ground, the Commission staff put together a
non-official paper. This paper has not been authorised by the Commission as
an official proposal, and so could still be subject to change.
My colleague, Martin Callanan MEP, has been working on this file on behalf
of the Conservative Delegation and, with our support, I can assure you that
he will continue to push for the availability of e-cigarettes. He has made
his position clear to the Lithuanian Presidency team who are leading the
Council negotiations, as well as to the British Government. I would
encourage you to contact your local MP and the Department of Health to urge
the UK Government to support e-cigarettes in Council meetings.
Please rest assured that we will continue to defend e-cigarettes in the
Trialogue meetings and I hope this explains the current situation and how my
Conservative colleagues and I are working to protect e-cigarettes.
Yours sincerely
Robert Sturdy MEP
