Swedish MEP challenges neutrality of tobacco control consortium

MEP Sara Skyttedal denounces a call for tenders won by a consortium of health stakeholders, questioning its impartiality on issues of new nicotine products. The director of the ENSP, a member of this consortium, calls for the notion of conflict of interest not to be misused.

The conditions for awarding a European research programme on reducing smoking are questioned by MEP Sara Skyttedal (EPP group). This programme is supported by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and has a budget of €3 million. Its mission is to advise the European Commission on its policy on tobacco products, by providing it with legal, statistical, economic and health assessments on tobacco and nicotine products. It also aims to feed into the European Beating Cancer Plan and prepare for a tobacco-free generation – i.e. fewer than 5% of smokers in the population – by 2040.

The consortium that won the tender, comprising the European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP), the University of Crete and Open Evidence, was the only candidate.

Civil society actors accused of conflicts of interest

In a written question that has not yet been answered, Sara Skyttedal questions the objectivity of this consortium, which is clearly committed to public health. The MEP is concerned about a possible conflict of interest of this consortium, whose open opposition to all tobacco and nicotine products could constitute a detriment to new products presented as less harmful.

Sara Skyttedal believes that hostile positions towards new tobacco and nicotine products would also harm the proper development of the Cancer Control Plan. Taking up the tobacco industry's arguments borrowed from harm reduction, she fears that smokers will be restricted in the transition to other products.[1], without mentioning the possibility that they could stop all dependence.

A misuse of the notion of conflict of interest according to the ENSP

Cornel Radu-Loghin, the Secretary General of the ENSP, was keen to point out that his organisation could not be accused of conflicts of interest since it does not make profits, and that this notion does not apply when there is no economic interest. Since the objective of the ENSP is precisely to issue legislative proposals on the fight against smoking, Cornel Radu-Loghin considers that this organisation is playing its role by participating in the development of European policy on tobacco products. It is also mentioned in one of the articles of the WHO treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, legally binding on the European Union which has ratified it, that the Parties to the treaty, including the European Commission, must act with civil society actors working in the field of tobacco control.

While the European Commission's lack of transparency towards the tobacco industry has already been denounced On several occasions, attempts to initiate such controversies could develop in the run-up to the revision of the European directive on tobacco and nicotine products.

Keywords: ENSP, Sara Skyttedal, conflicts of interest.

M.F.

[1] Griera M, Leeson S, Stakeholders bid over EU tender on tobacco control policy, Euractiv, published May 17, 2023, accessed May 17, 2023.