On World No Tobacco Day, it is nice to see that something has been achieved in large parts of Europe that was unimaginable until a few years ago, namely not being allowed to smoke in a restaurant.

So we have managed to create a health benefit for all of us through a small restriction for a few - especially for our children, who could hardly escape the harmful effects of passive smoking.

Incidentally, it was thanks to the referendum "Yes to real non-smoker protection" of my party, the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), that a consistent smoking ban was introduced in pubs, festival tents and restaurants in Bavaria in 2010.

This has served to protect non-smokers beyond the borders of Bavaria.

As a substitute member of the newly established Committee on Health (SANT) and a member of the Special Committee on Cancer in the European Parliament, it is important to me to advocate consistent health protection through prevention at European level too.

A mandatory restriction of tobacco consumption in the member states is needed, because smoking is still the most common preventable cause of death and the trigger of widespread diseases such as cancer!

With 120,000 people dying from tobacco consumption in Germany alone, we are also the only EU country that still allows tobacco advertising on posters, while minors still have too easy an access to cigarettes. This must stop!

I expect the EU Commission to tighten and enforce the European legal framework accordingly as part of the announced EU plan against cancer!

This is the only way to achieve the EU target of becoming smoke-free by 2040.