Pro-smoking group petitions against EU regulations

Smokers' lobby group Forest has launched an online petition against new proposals to regulate tobacco throughout the European Union.

Proposed changes to the European Commission's Tobacco Products Directive include a ban on the display of tobacco products in retail stores, the introduction of plain packaging, the enlargement of picture warnings on packs and the prohibition of all types of smokeless tobacco products.

The European Commission's public consultation closes on Friday 17 December.

"We support measures that educate children and adults about the health risks of smoking, but we oppose unnecessarily restrictive regulations that are designed to denormalise a legal product and will threaten jobs and small businesses and inconvenience millions of law-abiding citizens throughout Europe," said Forest director Simon Clark.

"We urge everyone who opposes these proposals to sign the petition which will be submitted to the EC as part of the consultation. It is essential that consumers make their voices heard in Brussels as well as in Westminster."

The petition will be delivered by Forest to the European Commission in Brussels on 17 December. To sign it visit www.forestpetition.eu.