 |
 |
Euro-MP Clashes with Anti-Smoking Lobby
December 18, 2001 12:00 AM
Diana Wallis MEP has locked horns with anti-smoking lobby ASH over cigarette smuggling in the EU.
Diana Wallis, Leader of the UK Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, has slammed attempts by ASH to stop the European Commission taking action against the Government for seizing cars belonging to innocent tourists coming back from abroad with cigarettes and alcohol for their own use.
Under EU rules, holidaymakers from Yorkshire can travel to other EU countries and bring back as much tobacco as they like as long as it is for personal use. The European Commission has issued guidelines about quantities, but they are only guidelines and not rules. The Government has been cracking down on smugglers, but has hit ordinary holidaymakers in the process. Thanks to calls from Diana Wallis, the Commission are taking action against Ministers for potentially breaking EU rules.
"I have no sympathy for smugglers," says Diana Wallis MEP, in a letter to ASH Director Clive Bates, "but I have every sympathy with ordinary individuals exercising their rights as EU citizens.
"The current system labels ordinary people as criminals," Diana has commented. "It denies them proper access to justice and imposes harsh penalties that do not fit the offence.
"A tribunal in London has already decided that the Government is over-reacting when it seizes people's cars for bringing back a bit more alcohol or tobacco than the guidelines suggest.
"European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein is still waiting for a reply from the Government about it undermining the Internal Market with its interpretation of the guidelines.
"Whilst I'm sure the intentions of ASH are honourable, I am not, as they request in a letter to me, going to ask the Commissioner to stop his action."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats