Europarlement draait rookverbod terug
Een compleet rookverbod dat begin dit jaar in de gebouwen van het Europese Parlement werd ingevoerd is door het nieuwe presidium, dat half januari aantrad, weer teruggedraaid. Evenals van te voren, worden nu weer rookgebieden in de gebouwen aangewezen.
De beslissing komt op een slecht moment voor de Europese anti-rokers, want net nu was de Europese commissaris voor Volksgezondheid bezig om voorstellen te doen voor rookverboden in de gehele EU.
Bravo!
French Green MEP and vice-president Gerard Onesta was heavily outvoted on keeping the ban. He said the new rules would not only send a “horrible political signal” but could also be more costly, as they will require special air filters in the designated areas, AFP news agency reported.
The move comes just after the European Commission announced it is considering an EU-wide smoking ban in public places, following member states such as Ireland, Italy, Malta and Sweden where similar steps have been taken.
But the six week-long parliament smoking ban was widely flouted in any case, with MEPs lighting up in their private offices and in the corridors outside social gatherings and with many security and catering staff too timid to take the members on.
