After four years, the negotiations by the 192 Member States of the WHO have resulted in an agreement for a groundbreaking treaty on tobacco control. The Treaty will be submitted to the World Health Assembly in May 2003 for approval.
This first international health treaty covers a range of issues including tobacco advertising, health warnings, tax issues, illicit trade (smuggling) and smoking cessation programmes. However important questions remain about the EU position on the Convention and particularly ratification by the EU Council, which must be unanimous.
For more information on the FCTC, please contact Andrew Hayes.