The EU has approved a tough new anti-smoking law, requiring stronger health warnings and banning the use of the words "light" and "mild" on cigarette packets.
From 2003, all cigarettes sold in the EU must have a health warning covering 30 per cent of the packet, saying "smoking kills", "smoking can kill" or "smoking severely harms those around you".
Governments will be free to insist that cigarette packets carry graphic pictures of rotting lungs and diseased hearts.
The measures were brokered by the EU Health Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, at an all-night meeting with members of the European Parliament.
Describing the new law as a watershed in the fight against tobacco, Mr Byrne said it sent a strong message to the tobacco companies. "I am particularly concerned about the uptake of smoking among young people. I am not convinced that the tobacco industry is as concerned about this as I am," he said.
The Commissioner praised the anti-smoking measures introduced by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, yesterday and said member-states enjoyed greater scope for action against smoking than the EU did.
The new EU law will set a limit on the harmful constituents in cigarettes, with a maximum of 10 mg of tar and, for the first time, limits on nicotine and carbon monoxide. Tobacco companies will be required to disclose the ingredients of their cigarettes, including additives that anti-smoking campaigners claim are targeted at young people.
From 2007, cigarette producers in the EU will be required to apply the new rules to cigarettes they export to countries outside the Union.
Mr Byrne said that, with half a million Europeans dying of smoking-related illnesses each year, it was necessary to introduce Europe-wide regulations.
"One-third of the adult population of the EU smokes. It's only 20 per cent in the US. I want to get our figures down to the US level," he said.
