제  목 : EU Workplace Smoking Ban Closer
  일  자 : 1997년 10월
  제공처 : Safety + health(EU Update)

          EU Workplace Smoking Ban Closer
         =================================

   The European Commission says that its draft proposal to enforce a Euro-
 pean Union-wide ban on to bacco smoking in all workplates is ex-
 pected to pass smoothly over the necessary legislative hurdles. The
 proposal has been made under health and safety legislation and would re-
 quire employers to protect workers against carcinogens.

    John Ryan from the European Commission says that simply out-
 Lawing smoking in the workplace cannot be achieved on the EU level
 because the Maastricht Treaty, which sets out the terms and conditions of
 the European Union, doesn't supply the legal "competence" to write such
 a law.

   All member states, except Britain, have laws that restrict smoking
 in the workplace. Bans are limited mainly to government offices and
 some public areas, such as public transportation. The European
 Union's only involvement in this matter is legally restricted to non-
 binding advice that supports no smoking in the workplace.

   However, the commission does have legal powers under EU health
 and safety laws that restrit exposure to carcinogens in the work-
 place. Tobaco smoke is known to contain several diffrent carcinogens.

   In late 1996, as part of a general offensive against smoking in the
European Union, the Commission  prepared a white paper thar brought
together all policy options on smoking. Ryan says an important aspect
of the white paper's focus on the workplace concerns workers em-
ployed in the hospitality industry -- such as bars and restaurants -
who are frequently exposed to tobacco smoke on a long-term basis.
"There have been studies showing that the health consequences
for these people are considerable," he says.

   Ryan was not prepared to give a time frame for implementing the
expected ban. The commission's priority is an EU-wide ban on all ciga-
rette advertising, which currently applies only to television, he says.

  The recent change of government in Britain means that a majority of
member states now support that option. Only Germany, the Nether-
lands and Greece remain opposed to an all-out advertising ban.