TPD: Tobacco industry lobbying a violation of Article 5.3

In January 2013, in the wake of the Dalligate scandal, the Alliance for Lobby Transparency and Ethics Regulation (Alter-EU), along with Corporate Accountability International, the European Public Health Alliance and Smoke-Free Partnership wrote to President Barroso to “express our concerns about the failure of the European Commission to properly implement Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).”
The groups noted that “It has recently come to our attention that over the past months, European Commission officials have had meetings with tobacco industry lobbyists that were not disclosed online, despite the obligation for transparency.”
The added “As a Party to the FCTC, the EU institutions have an obligation to take steps to protect its policy-making and law making from the vested interests of the tobacco industry. The scandal surrounding the resignation of Mr. Dalli, and recent questions related to the re-appointment of Mr. Petite to the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee, has highlighted the importance of effectively regulating the relations between EU institutions and the tobacco industry.”¹