tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post4013248294013722889..comments2024-02-25T10:22:38.186+00:00Comments on The European Citizen: The Commission and the Smoking Ban: Should Commission announcements be given a health warning?Eurocentrichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09439536905456080079noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-421334659265268892009-11-12T23:20:00.862+00:002009-11-12T23:20:00.862+00:00Announcements for Europeans
http://melodia.ucoz.ru...Announcements for Europeans<br />http://melodia.ucoz.ru/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-63274709122493003892009-07-09T03:00:29.884+01:002009-07-09T03:00:29.884+01:00Thanks for replying - sorry I'm late in respon...Thanks for replying - sorry I'm late in responding, but I was a bit pressed for time.<br /><br />Your article highlights an attitude towards smoking that's been taken by some member states and I agree that smoking bans and the like shouldn't be an area of EU competence - and they aren't. There isn't anything in the article that contains evidence of the smoking bans having anything to do with the EU (to be fair, your post was written before I wrote mine, so it's not a direct response).<br /><br />While I agree that the EU shouldn't have the competence to pass smoking bans, I do think that the member states should (and do) be able to do so - so I disagree that the state shouldn't have any right to intervene in this area. The quality and practicality of the various laws that have been passed in different countries is a different question, and I won't go into defending them since that's not the point I'm making.<br /><br />My main point is that the Commission is creating the impression of action and is damaging its image - and that of the EU - by seeming more powerful than it is and as meddling as well. And it fuels myths over what the EU can and can't do, and is and isn't doing.<br /><br />(The other points in the article on Lisbon I also disagree with, but they've been discussed in the Th!nk About It version of the article here: http://elections.thinkaboutit.eu/2009/05/only-rookies-have-no-plan-b/)Eurocentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09439536905456080079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-68209067727660876232009-07-04T01:49:16.498+01:002009-07-04T01:49:16.498+01:00on smoking and drinking in the EU:
http://prudenti...on smoking and drinking in the EU:<br />http://prudentinvestor.blogspot.com/2009/05/eu-elections-and-lisbon-treaty-only.htmlThe Prudent Investorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08447456005363321513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-36609821810395265342009-07-02T18:24:03.151+01:002009-07-02T18:24:03.151+01:00I do think that the EU has a role in consumer prot...I do think that the EU has a role in consumer protection and safety and the "prevention principle" can play a good role here. But the EU should on the whole restrict itself to areas that have a cross-border element or can be dealt with better at a supranational level.<br /><br />I would say that smoking (and alcohol) is different from those other health concerns since it has no purpose apart from being a recreational drug. Still, it should be a national competence, along with the legality of drugs.<br /><br />The EU is regulating some health practices/treatments (in the name of the single market) now - see this press release I only noticed today:<br /><br />http://www.emea.europa.eu/humandocs/PDFs/EPAR/chondrocelect/39474109en.pdf<br /><br />I read Eurosocialiste's blog post and I've commented - sorry it's not an especially riveting comment; I don't know what else I can add.Eurocentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09439536905456080079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-10106520324227352922009-07-02T14:25:39.401+01:002009-07-02T14:25:39.401+01:00@Eurocentric,
Nice post. I agree with you that if ...@Eurocentric,<br />Nice post. I agree with you that if you think about it, it's of no use for the EU to make that recommendation as it has no competence in the field. So, in the end, it's just bad press for the EU/Commission and a waste of civil cervant time I'd say.<br />Check out the lively debate around the issue on my blog: <br />http://eurosocialist.blogspot.com/2009/07/just-thought-what-exactly-is-european.html<br /><br />Interesting article by Gulf Stream Blues too:<br />http://gulfstreamblues.cafebabel.com/en/post/2009/06/30/EU-Takes-a-(Half-Hearted)-Stand-on-Smoking-Bans?pub=0#pr<br /><br />@Grahnlaw,<br />I really agree with the last point you make that if you follow the logic, and want to promote a better health, then forbid chemicals, cars, pesticides and all these things we know are causing so many cancers, fertility problems, allergies and asthmas. But I guess it's easier just to forbid "people" to do something than to rethink our development model.Eurosocialistehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03581553814650917300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620652438500849718.post-54889721430875913642009-07-02T01:49:38.742+01:002009-07-02T01:49:38.742+01:00I find the prospect of pictoral warnings (with gru...I find the prospect of pictoral warnings (with gruesome pictures) of Commission initiatives especially fascinating. <br /><br />Perhaps mandatory pictures with damaged brains should be introduced, or citizens' consultations arranged(?)<br /><br />Smoking is definitely bad, but there is the question of minority rights.<br /><br />There is also the question of what the EU is for. A unified foreign, security and defence policy is the great challenge for the 21st century, meddling in individuals' daily life is not. <br /><br />If the same arguments were used to prohibit dangers to workers, innocent civilians and children in particular, industry, heating and cars could be banned - for starters. <br /><br />By the way, did you notice the blog post by Eurosocialist?Ralf Grahn https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.com