EU Commission inaction re tobacco industry interference

During the previous Commission term, we were encouraged by Vice-President Jourova and her cabinet's support for the recommendations in our report "Targeting the European Commission: The 7 Lobbying Techniques of Big Tobacco" (published by CEO, EPHA, and STOP in March 2021). They agreed on the need for a consistent approach and better implementation of Article 5.3 across all Commission departments, following DG SANTE's approach. In autumn 2024, we were informed that the Commission was assessing which departments are most exposed to tobacco lobbying, with plans to extend DG SANTE’s approach to several other DGs. In our letter to Commissioner Šefčovič we've asked about the timeline for this critical reform and emphasized recent developments in tobacco lobbying that highlight the urgency of fully implementing Article 5.3.