Thank you very much for your enquiry about the EU Tobacco Products Directive
which includes both traditional cigarettes and E-cigs.
UKIP is strongly libertarian and we agree with your personal right to take
tobacco for whatever personal pleasure you take from it. The EU should have
no jurisdiction over us and we believe the United Kingdom is perfectly able
to take decisions for itself. This includes the regulations they have in
mind for E-cigs. We will oppose all aspects of this legislation, we shall
vote against it in Committee, we shall speak against it in Committee and in
the house as opportunity arises and we shall vote against it when it finally
comes up in the European Parliament. We are very happy to meet
representatives from the industry and from the medical profession to discuss
this issue.
If it becomes possible we shall put down amendments to the legislation in
order to weaken it but we are usually outvoted in these things especially as
the three old UK parties usually vote against it and in line with the mass
of MEPs from the rest of the EU. We often lose out this way because most
countries of the European Union do not understand the concept of personal
liberty and freedom.
The medical profession generally advises people against smoking for obvious
reasons. However, the Royal College of Physicians has called for the E-cigs
to be made more widely available, arguing that it is safer for smokers to
use these alternatives than to continue smoking. They also find that E-Cigs
are safer than other approaches like nicotine patches.
You may rely upon us to do what we can to derail this directive but the only
real answer is to leave the European Union, a course of action which only
UKIP advocates.
Yours sincerely
Derek Clark MEP
The office of Derek Clark MEP
UK Independence Party
Suite 1, Rowan House
23 Billing Road
NORTHAMPTON
NN1 5AT
Email -
[email protected]
Web -
www.derekclarkmep.org.uk
Tel - 01604 620064
