press statement - independent vape trade in europe unites
Transcripción
press statement - independent vape trade in europe unites
- PRESS STATEMENT Thursday 16th June 2016 INDEPENDENT VAPE TRADE IN EUROPE UNITES For immediate release Brussels – Europe’s two leading trade associations in the independent vape trade, the French Interprofessional Vaping Federation (FIVAPE) and the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), have joined forces at the EU-level to create the European Coalition for Independent Vape (ECIV). EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES ECIV will serve as a platform to allow the independent vape trade to engage more effectively on an EU-wide basis. It will also provide an opportunity for the independent industry to come together to discuss issues of mutual interest and to share best practice. Critically, it will help the independent industry to provide a coordinated response to the European and International challenges threatening the sector. This includes the European Tobacco Products Directive, discussions taking place at the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control in India later this year, and the possible threat of the European Commission subjecting vape products to excise. INDEPENDENT FROM THE TOBACCO AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES Vape products are neither tobacco nor pharmaceutical products and should therefore be regulated as a product set in their own right. ECIV strongly believes that such regulation needs to be proportionate and based on the fact that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than vaping. All ECIV members at the EU and national level are free from any ownership of control by the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries. As well as championing the independent vape industry across Europe, ECIV will also stand up for the interests of the millions of European vapers who rely on their being a wide range of safe and open-system vaping products, with e-liquids in a range of strengths and flavours to prevent them returning to smoking. Jean Moiroud, President of FIVAPE and a committee member of ECIV said: “I am proud that FIVAPE is joining forces with our colleagues in IBVTA to form a durable partnership that can best represent the interests of the independent vape industry at the - PRESS STATEMENT Thursday 16th June 2016 European level. This open and transparent initiative will allow us to work more closely together to shape the future of vaping in Europe and to defend the interests of millions of individual vapers.” Fraser Cropper, Chairman of IBVTA and a committee member of ECIV concluded: “The European Tobacco Products Directive poses numerous difficulties for the independent vaping industry in the EU. Critically it stifles free trade across the 28 Member States, imposes unreasonable and unjustifiable burdens on our businesses, and will make it harder or impossible for vapers to access products they rely on. Building on what IBVTA and FIVAPE have achieve respectively at the national level, ECIV will allow us to build on these achievements at the European level and to fight for the recognition that vaping deserves. As we make progress, I look forward to welcoming other independent organisations into the ECIV fold.” ECIV plans to hold its first open m eeting in Brussels later this year. Anyone interested in getting involved with this event or finding out more should contact ECIV at [email protected] ABOUT FIVAPE FIVAPE, the Interprofessional Vaping Federation, represents more than 350 French vape companies, among them the leading French producers and distributors. Its four divisions – Manufacturers, Distributors, User Relations and Europe&International – align themselves with all relevant stakeholders and experts in order to establish a network, defend professional and user interests, offer trainings, develop standards and advocate the liberty of vaping. Fivape has further committed itself to full independence from the tobacco industry and therefore has each member sign a declaration of absence of interests with manufacturers of conventional cigarettes and other tobacco products. ABOUT IBVTA Founded by some of the UK’s leading independent manufacturers, importers, distributors, and vendors, the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) is a not-for-profit, non-political trade association. IBVTA has been established to defend the independent vape industry in the long run, representing all responsible and ethical independent vaping businesses in the UK, irrespective of the size of their companies and operations.