EU STANDARDS ACHIEVED IN FIGHT AGAINST TOBACCO

The decisive steps taken by the Government in the field of fight against tobacco ensured meeting the closure criteria for one more chapter in EU accession process. 

Under the scope of “Positive Agenda” commenced in order to overcome the bottleneck between Turkey and the Commission during the negotiation process, the meeting of the Working Group on the Chapter of Consumer and Health Protection has been held in Brussels in 4 October 2012.

The Commission pointed out the progress on the issues related to health within the scope of the Chapter such as infectious diseases, particularly on the decisive steps taken by our country in the field of fight against tobacco.

During the meeting, the Commission has also confirmed that Turkey has met the technical criteria of the Chapter including the alignment related directly to tobacco and other tobacco products.

In his statement, Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said “With the determination of our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the strict follow-up of Recep Akdag, Minister of Health, Turkey has come to a point to meet the EU standard, even to go beyond it in the fight against tobacco.”

Bagis, stating that they acted with the principle of “Don’t give up, Keep going on” despite of all preventions and resistances in the EU negotiation process, indicated that “Before anything else, they had the fruits of this for the peace and health of Turkish nation.” Bagis said “Within this framework, the fact that Turkey has met the closure criteria in the fight against tobacco and other tobacco products despite of the bottleneck in the negotiations has shown the determination of Turkey.”

Bagis stating that Tobacco was harmful not only to our health but also to EU process of Turkey said “Turkey’s smoke-free air zone will provide a sigh of relief for EU.” Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis indicated that Turkey’s membership to EU, the air of which got cloudy with the effects of global crisis and problems in the decision-making mechanisms, would be a significant source of oxygen and stressed that those in Europe who tried to block this source were a fundamental threat to EU.