SEPTEMBER 20, 2007

EU Health Commissioner leans on China

Markos Kyprianou, the European Union's health commissioner, has continued his attack on Ferrari's continued use of tobacco advertising and has asked China to ban tobacco promotions at next month's Chinese Grand Prix. Kyprianou has told China's Deputy Health Minister Chen Xiaohong that the EU is concerned about images of the cars being beamed back into Europe.

Markos Kyprianou, the European Union's health commissioner, has continued his attack on Ferrari's continued use of tobacco advertising and has asked China to ban tobacco promotions at next month's Chinese Grand Prix. Kyprianou has told China's Deputy Health Minister Chen Xiaohong that the EU is concerned about images of the cars being beamed back into Europe.

"The races are being broadcast back to Europe and are being viewed by the European citizens, so in a way it undermines and limits the effectiveness of our own legislation in protecting citizens, especially young people, from this kind of tobacco marketing," Kyprianou said.

China long ago banned almost all forms of tobacco advertising but granted an exemption to Formula 1 in order to secure a race. Banning tobacco advertising at this point might mean there would be a need to renegotiate China's deal with Bernie Ecclestone.