Country of origin and area of intervention: Based in Belgium, the SFP actively promotes the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) at the EU and European regional level.
Creation date: In 2006, a partnership was created between health organisations wishing to support political advocacy for the implementation of the FCTC. In 2010, the SFP was formally established as a foundation in Belgium.
Status: The SFP is a Foundation and coordinates a coalition of more than 50 public health NGOs in over 30 European countries.
Number of employees/volunteers: The SFP has six permanent employees and one occasional intern.
Annual budget and main funding: The SFP has an annual budget of around €500,000, including funding from the European Union and contributions from our partners:
➔ Cancer Research UK,
➔ European Heart Network,
➔ Belgian Cancer Foundation,
➔ Health Funds for a Tobacco Free Netherlands
➔ French National Cancer League
➔ Norwegian Cancer Society,
➔ Details of the SFP’s finances are available on our website:
https://www.smokefreepartnership.eu/aboutus/finances-and-fundin
Our vision
SFP’s vision is a world where all children can grow up healthy, and free from the harm caused by tobacco.
Our mission is to advocate for the effective implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to prevent the death and suffering caused by tobacco. To achieve this mission:
➔ We mobilise stakeholders and decision makers to make tobacco control a political priority in Europe.
➔ We advocate for evidence-based tobacco control policies.
➔ We engage health organisations, researchers and international networks to strengthen the global response to tobacco.
➔ We call for the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Europe to contribute to ending the global tobacco pandemic
Our contribution
The SFP Coalition is a network of over 50 European and national organisations, coordinated by SFP and working together on shared advocacy objectives towards the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).The SFP Coalition’s overarching goal is to prevent cancer and chronic diseases through tobacco control advocacy at EU and
Member State level with a special focus on young people and through health in all policies.
Tobacco use is the most preventable risk factor for multiple cancers as well as other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We call on the European Commission and EU Member States governments to include the following considerations in their prevention measures for cancer and other NCDs:
➔ Primordial as well as primary prevention including tobacco control measures should be a pillar of any effective strategy to fight against cancer and other NCDs. Tobacco control should be at the core of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and its Cancer Research Mission.
➔ By implementing the measures enshrined in the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) public health will benefit from a long-term, sustainable reduction in the burden of cancer and other NCDs.
➔ In order to protect present and future generations, children and young people, the EU and its Member states should adopt the goal of achieving a Tobacco Free Europe
Our areas of intervention
SFP’s achievements since its creation include
➔ Successful advocacy for a strong Council recommendation on smoke-free environments (2008)
➔ Successful advocacy for an increase in tobacco excise duties through the revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive (2010)
➔ Successful advocacy for a strong legislative proposal (2012) and revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014) including large mandatory pictorial warnings, ban on characterising flavours, regulation of novel products, and the adoption of the first EU-wide tracking and tracing regime for tobacco products (2018)
➔ Successful advocacy at global level for the adoption of FCTC guidelines, particularly on preventing tobacco industry interference (2009) and on tobacco taxation (2014)
➔ Support, technical advice and capacity building to partner organisations throughout the EU towards successful advocacy campaigns at national level for plain standardized packaging, tobacco tax increases, expansion of smoke-free
environments, enforcement and expansion of tobacco advertising restrictions with a focus on children and young people, and exposing and rebutting tobacco industry interference in health policy.
The World Health Organisation recognised the SFP for its tobacco control work by awarding it a World No Tobacco Day Award in 2011. SFP was also awarded the American Cancer Society’s 2015 Luther L. Terry Award for outstanding global
achievement and exemplary leadership in tobacco control.
The SFP Coalition’s strategic policy objectives include:
➔ Advocating for upwards convergence of tobacco taxes at European level through the revision of the EU tobacco Tax Directive
➔ Supporting the application and review of EU policy and legislation including the Recommendation on smoke-free environments, the EU Tobacco Advertising Directive, and the EU Tobacco Products Directive
➔ Supporting the FCTC implementation at national and regional level with a focus on smoke-free policies, combating tobacco industry interference, plain packaging, and tobacco advertising restrictions
➔ Supporting the fight against illicit trade by promoting the ratification and implementation of the Illicit Trade Protocol
➔ Promoting tobacco control policy research to assist policy-makers in implementing evidence-based measures
➔ Raising awareness of tobacco control as part of European and global discussions on post-pandemic recovery and resilience-building, sustainable development, environment protection, sustainable business practices, and the protection of human and children’s rights
