The European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP)

n the framework of the Europe Against Cancer programme, organisations active in tobacco control within the countries of the European Union had been meeting regularly since 1987 to promote an exchange of information and experience. In 1994, the European Commission invited the organisations to define a strategy to reinforce tobacco control at a national and European level and to develop a European network for smoking prevention.

In April 1997, ENSP was officially registered under Belgian law and offers full membership to national coalitions against tobacco and specialised anti-tobacco networks of European Union member countries.

Several specialised networks existed, such as the Network on Young People and Tobacco, Smokefree cities, Smokefree hospitals and Smokefree GP's, but there were still in their very early stages of development, transnational co-operation was rare and co-ordination at national level was hard to find.

In April 1996, the organisations agreed on common goals and principles and elected an executive committee with the mission to propose a viable structure for future activities. The decision was made to create an independent international non-profit association with the financial support of the European Union. In October 1996, at the Smokefree Conference in Helsinki, Commissioner Padraig Flynn, in charge of employment and social affairs, officially launched the European Network for Smoking Prevention.

In April 1997, ENSP was officially registered under Belgian law and offers full membership to national coalitions against tobacco and specialised anti-tobacco networks of European Union member countries. Associated membership is open to organisations active in tobacco control who wish to have access to an information service only. The objectives of the ENSP have been defined as follows:

to facilitate the creation and operation of national alliances for smoking prevention.
to promote collaboration amongst Member organisations.
to stimulate and co-ordinate joint projects at European level.
to facilitate specialised European anti-smoking networks.
to undertake the collection and distribution of information between the institutions of the European Union, the Member States and the Members of the Network.
to establish a link between the European Network, intergovernmental organisations, national governments, non governmental organisations and other relevant groups.
to support national alliances for smoking prevention in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Having operated temporarily through the UICC / ECL EU Liaison Office in Brussels until May 1997, ENSP now employs a full time coordinator in charge of servicing the network.

: Members of the Board
: President: Prof Albert Hirsch, France
: Treasurer: Mr Tom Hudson, Ireland
: Dr Goran Boethius, Sweden
: Prof Friedrich Wiebel, Germany
: member to be elected from Belgium

: European coordinator: Ms Sibylle Fleitmann
: Address:
: ENSP
: 33 Rue de Pascale
: 1040 Brussels (Belgium)
: Tel:(32) 2 230.20.27.
: Fax:(32) 2 231.18.58.
: e-mail: fleitmann@uicc.ch n

Smoke Free Europe - A Forum for Networks - 14 AUG 1997

[Next] [Previous] [Up] [Top] [Contents] [Index]