WORKERS' HEALTH AND SAFETY : EMPLOYERS OPPOSE EU-WIDE ANTI-SMOKING LEGISLATION.

• Position: Brief article

Rather than EU-level laws against smoking in the workplace, the employers' lobby BusinessEurope would prefer "non-binding initiatives". It believes that the problem is "largely a societal issue" that "should be dealt with at national level". "The diversity of measures across member states shows the need for tailoring to existing national arrangements and cultures," it says.

The European Commission declared its intention, in October 2008, to introduce a comprehensive EU-wide ban on smoking in...