press statement - independent vape trade in europe unites

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.