More details on e-cigs
Dear vaper,
EU governments have now approved the deal on e-cigs finally negotiated by MEPs on Monday night.
The final details of the text, as cleaned up by the lawyers and translators, is not yet available. We are still working off the rough copies. However although some vapers recognise that this is definitely a glass half full some people still see it only as a glass half empty, or worse.
Let's remember where we started.
The European Commission wanted all e-cigs to be classified as pharmaceutical products, potentially restricting their availability and certainly increasing the costs to manufacturers.
It proposed a maximum nicotine content of 4mg, severe restrictions on flavourings and a ban on refillables.
This was supported by virtually every Government in Europe.
It was supported by the Parliament's rapporteur Linda McAvan, and by the shadow rapporteur for the largest group in Parliament.
And instead, what have we ended up with?
A maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml
Maximum total nicotine in an ecig of 40mg
Refillables still allowed with a review in 2 years time
Flavourings left up to individual countries
No compulsory medicines regulation
We never get all that we want when we make compromises, but what has been achieved is remarkable.
I want to pay credit to Linda McAvan MEP, who accepted that Parliament voted against the position she first endorsed and led the negotiations fairly on that basis.
But most of all I want to thank my Belgian Liberal colleague, Frederique Ries MEP, who led for my group. She was, and is, absolutely adamant about the benefits of e-cigs and was (and still is) determined to try and curb restrictions on their availability and type.
Her efforts played a key role in securing a majority vote in the European Parliament against the Commission's proposals. During the subsequent negotiations her obstinancy was crucial to preventing the acceptance of a lesser deal. She held on to the last second, and even then refused to endorse the late-night agreement.
I know that she is not at all happy. She wanted an absolute win and doesn't want to hear that compromises are not based on absolutes. Having taken part in many negotiations of a similar kind over the years I think she did a marvellous job.
If you want to send her thanks her email address is
[email protected]
She deserves them.
Chris Davies MEP
Liberal Democrat Environment spokesman
Haven't had a roll up since tuesday night and hopefully will remain that way. Started vaping this machine yesterday afternoon, and tank is showing just over half used of a 1.5ml tank, so I guess I'm not going to be a heavy vaper.
