SEPTEMBER 25, 2001

Japan Tobacco goes for the EU

JAPAN TOBACCO has launched a new legal attack on the European Union law banning the use of terms such as "mild" on cigarette packets. The law, which was passed earlier this year and is due to come into force in 2003, will force tobacco companies to display big, clear health warnings and stop them making claims about the relative safety of their products.

Japan Tobacco says it will argue at the EU's Court of First Instance that the law will unfairly ban it from selling Mild Seven, the world's second-best selling cigarette after Marlboro.