Commissioner eyes tobacco ban in work places

(BRUSSELS) - EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla wants to see a smoking ban in workplaces rolled out across Europe, a spokeswoman said Monday.

"We have a duty to ensure all workplaces are safe and secure for workers," Chantal Hughes told reporters in Brussels.

"At this stage, we don't think this is the case, this is why the commissioner would like to see a (smoking) ban in all workplaces," she added.

Hughes said that the European Commission aimed to begin discussions about a ban with employers and trade unions and that "there is no legislative proposal at this stage."

While legislation would probably not be ready until after the European Commission gets a new mandate in 2009, she said that "it is important to start the debate."

Most EU member countries already have restrictions against smoking in workplaces, although smoking in bars and restaurants is often not covered by those rules.

Hughes said: "The scope of the proposal is still to be determined but clearly one of the areas we would like to see covered is bars, restaurants, pubs and so on, where workers are exposed on a daily basis to passive smoking."