Two MEPs have raised concerns that a coordinated campaign may be distorting the European Commission's public consultation on the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, potentially undermining the integrity of stakeholder input and the EU's commitment to public health. The platform 'Fix the Flaws' has deployed a digital tool to generate automated, pre-formulated responses, which the MEPs argue blurs the line between genuine participation and organised lobbying.
The written question, tabled on 17 June 2026 by Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE) and Nicolás González Casares (S&D), asks the Commission how it assesses and accounts for such coordinated submissions when analysing consultation results. The MEPs also inquire what safeguards exist to prevent organised campaigns from distorting the perceived balance of views or weakening the evidence base for impact assessments. Finally, they press the Commission on how it ensures the revision process remains consistent with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires protecting public health policies from tobacco industry interference.
The question contains concrete demands for the Commission to explain its methodology and safeguards, signalling the MEPs' intent to hold the executive accountable for the transparency and quality of the consultation process. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it considers such automated campaigns a threat to evidence-based policymaking and what measures it may adopt to counter them.
Stakeholders directly affected include public health NGOs, which have long advocated for strict tobacco control and may see coordinated industry-friendly responses as a threat; the tobacco industry and its allies, which could benefit from amplified policy positions; EU policymakers, who rely on balanced consultation data; and citizens, whose genuine input may be diluted by automated submissions.