European Parliament "postpones vote on Tobacco Products Directive" (tbc)
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 13:00 
Breaking news from Brussels courtesy DeHavilland.
The European Parliament today decided to postpone its orientation vote on the Tobacco Products Directive, originally scheduled to take place at the Plenary Session in Strasbourg on 10 September.
The decision, supported by the EPP, ALDE and ECR Groups – which together command a majority in the Parliament – has infuriated Rapporteur Linda McAvan (S&D, UK). She has claimed that the postponement was orchestrated at the behest of tobacco companies seeking more time to lobby MEPs.
Simon Clark
Whoops! Let's hope DeHavilland haven't tweeted too soon.
From another source, a slightly different interpretation of events:
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) will support the centre right EPP request to postpone the TPD plenary vote from next week to October. However the final decision will be made tomorrow (Thursday) at a meeting of the political group leaders. The Socialist Group (along with the Commission) is fiercely opposing postponement. This means it could be overturned ...
You couldn't make it up.
Update: AIM Healthcare tweets:
RT@EU_COPD: #tobacco products directive vote due to take place next Tuesday in the European Parliament is postponed till October #TPD
Reader Comments (7)
Sitting in one of my favourite restaurants in Salobrena - Spain. Its our anniversary and now you make my day with this news.
Well done Simon.
Thank goodness the Angel of Death McAvan has been stopped in her tracks for now. She honestly believes that her was is the only way .....
More the case that most of the mps and meps weren't given enough time to read through it because of the late release of it. Add on to that the mhra coming out and saying that ecigs aren't medical the tpd is falling apart.
oh wonderfull news, hope shes seething over this, more likely is someones possibly seen the truth not the retoric and lies
Wonderful news it gives us more time time to inform MEPs of the truth regarding ecigs.
Now we need the scrutiny committee to get the TPD in front of the MPs and if we are very lucky we can get our government to oppose it. MHRA look like they have decided that e cigs are NOT medicine unless that was just to shut Totally Wicked up.
"Every grain of sand helps to make a desert" and I'm proud I was part of it.
Thanks EU.