Bulgaria: Regulations – Biggest Threat at Tobacco Producers: Antonio Abrunhosa, ITGA

Source from:  Focus English News (bg)  10/21/2013

"Speaking on world scale, the regulations turn to be the biggest threat faced by tobacco producers," said Antonio Abrunhosa, chief executive officer of the International Tobacco Growers' Association (ITGA), in an interview with FOCUS News Agency.

"Some thirty years ago, tobacco producers used to conform only with the consumers and their changing requirements in the different markets. After the start of the anti-tobacco campaign, the regulations became more and more important for the tobacco producer.
 
In the beginning, the regulations were about cutting the consumption, which had its effect and the world consumption dropped.

The tobacco growers adapted to this environment and simply cut the production in certain markets. Now, when the regulations on the consumption are a problem concerning not only the producers, some new regulations were introduced, which directly or indirectly affect the production in two directions.

The ingredients in the cigarettes and Articles 17 and 18 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organisation, which concern the alternative cultures of the tobacco and the effect of tobacco on the environment. These two articles are the biggest threat at the moment and we should not forget that those working at the World Health Organisation and on the Convention are mostly delegates from the ministries of health.

Few of these delegations have representatives from the ministries of agriculture and they make decisions, which concern the agriculture, while in fact most of the members know very little not to say nothing about the agriculture," Abrunhosa commented. Enditem