Three landmark cases in the E.U. Court of Justice have dealt an important blow in the long-running campaign by Big Tobacco to use legal challenges to avoid regulation. The big question at stake is about how effective is the E.U. at taking on the might of the multinationals—the huge and well-funded companies in the tobacco industry—in the name of health protection.
The decisions, which unequivocally support the E.U.’s latest package of tobacco regulation, will be warmly greeted by pro-Europe campaigners in the U.K.’s referendum—such as Scientists for E.U.—who argue that on balance, staying in the E.U. is better for health.
One case was brought by the Polish government and the others were referred by the English High Court, which asked the E.U. court to interpret E.U. law. Based on this judgment, the English court will now decide claims brought by tobacco companies, or suppliers to the industry and a retailer of e-cigarettes.
