A European Union ban on tobacco advertising, which had been expected to be approved on Thursday, has been thrown into doubt after Spain withdrew its support at the last minute.

Germany, Austria, Denmark and Greece all oppose the ban, and, with Spain, they now have enough votes to block the ban.

A European Commission spokeswoman described Spain's change of policy as an extraordinary U-turn.

The Spanish Health Minister, Romay Beccaria, was quoted as saying that Madrid could not give its support when there was such strong opposition.

Spain has a huge state-owned toacco monopoly, Tabacalera, but for years has inisted that it is firmly behind the EU's measures to crack down on tobacco advertising.

The draft directive bans all tobacco advertising except in specialist magazines and where tobacco is sold.

Formula One affair

British Health Minister Tessa Jowell is scrambling to pull together enough votes

Spain's move immediately increased pressure on British Public Health Minister, Tessa Jowell, to keep Britain on board in an attempt to muster enough votes to push the new EU tobacco directive through.

The British Government had appeared ready to agree on a seven-year exemption for Formula One instead of an indefinite exclusion.

Britain first switched track on the issue last month when it announced Grand Prix would not be covered by its own ban on tobacco advertising.

The Government said it accepted Formula One's claim that it was a special case and would be driven overseas without cigarette money.

But British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was accused of sleaze when it emerged that the Labour Party had received a £1m donation from Grand Prix boss Bernie Ecclestone before the May 1 election.

The Comission is privately insisting that Spain has fallen victim to its own powerful tobacco lobby, with Germany, the main opponent of the ban, piling pressure on Spain to fight tobacco restrictions.

One frustrated Commission official who has been pushing for a ban on tobacco advertising, said: "Now we have to ask: 'Is the tobacco lobby stronger than we are?'"

Commission officials are hastily reworking their plans to try to win sufficient support to avoid scrapping legislation completely.
 
BBC Correspondent, Emma Udwin, explains what Spain's opposition means for the EU (Dur: 1'22")

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