Agro Perspectiva

Russia: tobacco bill to be completed

13.06.2012 15:35 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — Russia’s Ministry of Health believes that the anti-tobacco bill will be submitted to the government as planned - before November 1st. Earlier this document was returned to the ministry for completion because of «some technical issues». Experts are skeptical while commenting on the problems emerging with the passage of this bill. It is planned that the ban on smoking on TV screens and in restaurants, as well as other restrictions will be withdrawn from this bill under the tobacco lobby. Meanwhile, the State Duma deputies have prepared an alternative anti-tobacco bill. The anti-tobacco bill was submitted to the government by the Ministry of Health on May 20th - nearly a year after the work on this document started. The draft bill provides for the unprecedented toughening of measures regarding both the sale and use of tobacco, including restrictions on smoking in public places as well as a ban on advertising and sponsorship on the part of tobacco companies. Several days later the bill was returned to the ministry with a request of completing it. Russia’s Ministry of Health says that all claims are purely technical in character and that they will be resolved before November 1st, while experts say that the bill was again suspended because of the differences existing between the ministries. The so-called tobacco lobby has a decisive influence in this conflict, Chairman of the Russian Anti-Tobacco Coalition Kirill Danishevsky says. «The tobacco industry has organized a powerful resistance through a number of non-related ministries - such as the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Economic Development. Presently the Ministry of Health occupies very correct and internationally recognized positions, defending people’s health. However, other ministries, at the level of separate bureaucrats, are trying to exclude effective measures from the previously mentioned bill, thus making it absolutely non-effective.» One of its clauses provides for the introduction of minimum retail prices on cigarettes. Besides, it contains provisions for a nearly 50 -per cent increase of the excise duty on tobacco. As a result, the cost of tobacco products in Russia will come close to the European prices that range from 2 to 5 euros. The Russian Ministry of Health says that currently the excise duty on cigarettes is about one-fourth of one euro, which makes them affordable to everybody. However, Russia’s Finance Ministry disapproves of a sharp increase in the excise duty, proposing to bring it to 0.5 euros by 2014. Commenting on that, the Head of the International Confederation of Consumer Societies Dmitry Yanin says: «As it appears, the tobacco lobby in Russia is the most influential. No effective anti-tobacco measures have been adopted in Russia over the past 20 years. The Russian market is second after China in the volume of sales of tobacco products produced by the tobacco companies. That is why the latter are fighting for it using whatever is possible in this field. We have documents confirming that the British American Tobacco Company has formed the position of the Russian Ministry of Economy and also that of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on a number of clauses the anti-tobacco law contains.» Another stumbling stone is the advertising of tobacco products. If a complete ban is put on advertising and on sponsorship on the part of cigarette producers, this may hit budgetary revenues, the lobbyists say. «The critics of the above-mentioned bill say that before rising prices on tobacco, it is necessary to improve its quality because what the tobacco giants in Russia produce does not meet the EU standards. Among other things, this was mentioned in the alternative tobacco bill too,» admits Yanin.