Clearing the Air can today reveal which MEPs will sit on the European Parliament’s public health committee, known as SANT. The Committee produced two reports in the last Parliament extolling the virtues of harm reduction, and will be in the lead when Parliament considers new proposals from the EU Commission on safer nicotine products.
The list includes some familiar faces. Peter Liese (DE, EPP) returns to the Committee, and is the most likely candidate for coordinating delegates from his group. Liese is a medical doctor and has been supportive of tobacco harm reduction in the past, including in 2013 when the last set of EU tobacco rules were passed.
Other representatives from the EPP - which brings together centre-right parties across Europe and is the largest single group in the European Parliament - include former Spanish Health Minister Delores Montserrat and Swedish MEP Jessica Polfjard, who last year called out the EU Commission for using leading questions in their consultation on safer nicotine products.
The Socialist contingent includes figures more sceptical of harm reduction, many of whom have campaigned for prohibitions and restrictions in the past. Their group will likely be led by former EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis from Lithuania, who as Commissioner poured cold water on the idea that vaping could be used to quit smoking, saying “if they use it as a cessation method then one can be under the scrutiny of medical doctors. They know how to help you. Not do it yourself”.
Clearing the Air has reported consistently on how the medicalisation of vaping in Australia has proven a complete failure.
Also among the socialists ranks is Nicolas Gonzalez Cacares, a former Emergency nurse who has also been a vocal critic of harm reduction in previous Parliaments; Leire Pajin, a former Spanish Health Minister under Jose Zapatero; and Marta Temido, a former Portugese Health Minister under Antonio Costa, who has now been appointed President of the European Council.
Other former Health Ministers include Romanian Vlad Voiculescu, from the Renew (liberal) group; and Lithuanian Aurelijus Veryga from the Conservative (ECR) Group.
The European Commission is likely to move forward with revising its laws around vaping with a public consultation and impact assessment next year, followed by a proposal. Commission sources say it’s likely that the new proposal will focus heavily on further restricting safer nicotine products, and could propose a total flavour ban for vapes and a total product ban for nicotine pouches.
As many MEPs are new in this Parliament - more than half are serving their first term - many won’t have encountered the issue before; or will have done so only fleetingly. Local consumer groups will likely seek to try and get in touch with new members to begin the process of education.
The full list of MEPs serving on the SANT Committee is below. Full members can always vote on the Committee, whereas substitutes can vote by agreement with a full member who cannot attend a sitting. We do not have details of MEPs committee assingments from the Left Group (far left) or the Europe of Sovereign Nations (far right). While it is subject to some small changes, this list is likely to be final:
European People’s Party (EPP)
Full members:
Peter Liese, Oliver Schenk (DE)
Adam Jarubas, Bartosz Arlukowicz (PL)
Delores Montserrat (ES)
Andras Kulja (HU)
Laurent Castillo (FR)
Jessica Polfjard (SE)
Substitutes:
Manuela Ripa (DE)
Ewa Kopacz (PL)
Elena Nevado del Campo (ES)
Letizia Moratti (IT)
Tomislav Sokol (HR)
Ingeborg Ter Laak (NL)
Ludek Niedermayer (CZ)
Socialists and Democrats (S&D)
Full members:
Vytenis Andriukaitis (LT)
Christophe Clergeau (FR)
Nicolas Gonzalez Casares (ES)
Victor Negrescu (RO)
Tiemo Wolken (DE)
Romana Jerković (HR)
Substitutes:
Estelle Ceulemans (BE)
Leire Pajin (ES)
Alessandra Moretti, Raffaele Topo (IT)
Pierre Jouvet (FR)
Marta Temido (PT)
Patriots for Europe (PfE)
Full members:
Marie Luce Brasier Clain (FR)
Ondrej Knotek (CZ)
Gerald Hauser (AT)
Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (ES)
Substitutes:
None
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
Full members:
Galato Alexandraki (HE)
Michele Picaro (IT)
Laurance Trochu (FR)
Substitutes:
Ruggero Razza (IT)
Aurelijus Veryga (LT)
Pietro Fiocchi (IT)
Renew Europe (RE)
Full members:
Stine Bosse (DK)
Olivier Chastel (BE)
Vlad Voiculescu (RO)
Substitutes:
Andreas Gluck (DE)
Irena Joveva (SI)
Billy Kelleher (IE)
Greens/European Free Alliance
Full members:
Ignazio Marino (IT)
Tilly Metz (NL)
Substitutes:
Majdouline Sbai (FR)
