Tobacco consumption is the single largest avoidable health risk in the EU. Having long acknowledged this threat, the EU was instrumental in designing and achieving consensus on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC entered into force in 2005 and was ratified by the EU and its Member States. The Smoke Free Partnership (SFP) is the leading NGO in the EU advocating for FCTC implementation. Since its creation, SFP spearheaded high-profile campaigns across Europe to introduce effective and evidence-based smoking prevention measures. In 2014, SFP formalised its working partnerships by creating the Smoke Free Partnership Coalition. The overarching strategic goal of this proposal is to improve the health of EU citizens and reduce health inequalities by promoting smoking prevention at EU and Member State level with a special focus on young people. During this three year period, SFP set four strategic objectives: 1. Promote and support smoking prevention at EU and national level through the development of advocacy strategies that deliver specific EU tobacco control policies 2. Promote and support smoking prevention at international, European and national level through the development and implementation of the FCTC, its protocols and guidelines 3. Mobilise and strengthen the capacity of European and national civil society to complement, support and add value to the policies of the EU and of the Member States4. Strengthen SFP’s institutional capacity to enable it to meet its goal and objectivesThis proposal shows how the SFP Coalition will contribute to Objective 1 of the Health Programme as our work directly relates to health promotion, disease prevention and the fostering of supportive environments for healthy lifestyles. The outcomes of this proposal will complement, support and add value to EU and Member State policies which aim to improve the health of EU citizens and reduce health inequalities.
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In 2015, in recognition to its achievements, SFP was awarded the prestigious Luther L. Terry Award for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control for Outstanding Organisation by the American Cancer Society. In 2016, SFP will continue to live up to this recognition by striving towards the fulfilment of its three year plan objectives:

1. Promote and support smoking prevention at EU and national level through the development of advocacy strategies that deliver specific EU tobacco control policies.

2. Promote and support smoking prevention at international, European and national level through the development and implementation of the FCTC, its protocols and guidelines.
3. Mobilise and strengthen the capacity of European and national civil society to complement, support and add value to the policies of the EU and of the Member States.

4. Strengthen SFP’s institutional capacity to enable it to meet its goal and objectives.

The SFP Coalition Annual Work Programme for 2016 will reinforce SFP Coalition policy work by providing tobacco control activities and deliverables in accordance with its strategic priorities and will continue to build upon the groundwork laid down in 2015. It will also assist to achieve the final goal of the SFP Coalition’s three-year work plan which is to improve the health of EU citizens and reduce health inequalities by promoting smoking prevention at EU and Member State level with a special focus on measures that prevent the uptake of smoking by young people. This will be done through a high level of cooperation, coordination and advocacy work of SFP Coalition with advocates, academia, researchers and policy makers.


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Efforts to mitigate the devastation of tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality have advanced in Europe and consist of the adoption of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and the WHO FCTC. In the face of a changing tobacco product landscape, where dual- and poly-tobacco use has become an increasing public health problem, strategies for addressing the tobacco epidemic must also evolve. Moreover, despite the existence of regulations that are efficacious in reducing the demand for tobacco products, effective implementation remains a persistent challenge across EU MS with an imperative and documented need for regional actions and non-fragmented communication. In light of the above the ENSP 2020 objectives are as follows:
1: To assist and support the central EU level empower capacity at the EU MS National level, for Civil Society with implementing and assessing tobacco control legislation through the provision of scientific evidence and awareness raising
2: To empower capacity at the EU MS level, Civil Society, Policy Makers, clinicians and other stakeholders through the provision of science-based evidence, increased health literacy and improving access to tobacco dependence treatment.
3: To enhance the exchange of tobacco control information across countries, disciplines and generations.
4: To enhance alliances between EU tobacco control stakeholders, to promote sustainability and to ensure the wise use of EU funds.

Results that will be generated include reports on expert mapping, TPD assessment, toolkits, fact sheets, hot topics, guidelines and online modules and information sharing venues. End users and target groups of the 2020 ENSP OG include but are not limited to EU regulators, EU MS regulators, Civil Society, Youth, the Media, the Public, Clinicians and other stakeholders.
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For many years tobacco consumption has been considered the single most important cause of preventable morbidity wordwide. Efforts to reduce the devastation of tobacco related death and illness in the EU, consist of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), the Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) from WHO.
The general objective of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control 2 will be to provide support of the implementation of TPD and TAD.
The specific objectives of the program are:
1. To ensure appropriate coordination and evaluation
2. To support dissemination of information to the target groups
3. To integrate the JATC results into national policies
4. To facilitate the exchange of good practices between Member States in order to improve implementation of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and related implementing and delegated acts in a number of areas of tobacco product and e-cigarette regulation, including laboratory capacity, analysis and assessment.
5. To ensure greater consistency in the application of the TPD to ensure a fair internal market for tobacco and related products, especially regarding market surveillance and enforcement.
6. Promote activities consistent with the objectives of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
7. To identify and assess the current legislation regarding, but not exclusively tobacco advertising and advertising of emerging products.
8. To identify and develop best practices regarding tobacco endgame strategies and for smoke-free environments.
As more and more countries step up in the game of tobacco control and prevention against tobacco related cancer, a unified Europe is more important than ever. The commitment is also showed in the approaching new EU Cancer Action Plan, where EU MS will stand together in the fight against tobacco. We, the partners of the JATC 2, are commited to championing this fight.
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Smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption are considered the single most important cause of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Efforts to reduce the devastation of tobacco-related deaths and illness in the EU consist of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The TPD lays down rules governing the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products. The TPD stipulates that Member States shall require manufacturers and importers of tobacco products to submit to their competent authorities information, via a common entry gate (EU-CEG) – an IT tool designed to ensure uniform application of the reporting and notification obligations, harmonise the submission of data, facilitate comparison and reduce administrative burden.

The general objective of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control will be to provide support for the implementation of the TPD throughout the 28 EU MS through the mining of EU-CEG data, supporting of laboratory collaborations and effort to evaluate priority additives. The specific aims of the project are:

• To ensure appropriate coordination and evaluation
• To support the dissemination of information to the public, regulators and researchers.
• To enhance the ease of access to the data collected through the EU CEG
• To monitor and provide support to the tasks of tobacco and e-cigarette product regulation
• Assist EU MS networking and collaborations between laboratories for tobacco evaluation.
• Support EU MS in the process of monitoring and updating priority additives
• To integrate the JATC results into national policies

With the above in mind, this proposal comes at a perfect timing to aid the regulatory activities that would be needed across the EU MS with regards to the implementation of the TPD across 28 EU MS spanning a population of 508 Million people.
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