FAQ: EU Call for Evidence Database
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about Snusforumet’s EU Call for Evidence Database.
Where did the information in the database come from?
All the information in the database was obtained from a page on the European Commission website entitled “Evaluation of the legislative framework for tobacco control“. The page details the call for evidence process as well as all of the responses, which are collected under the headline “Feedback”.
The Snusforumet editorial team gathered the responses in a new document. Responses that were submitted in a language other than English were translated into English using Google Translate. In addition, the names of individual citizens who submitted feedback were removed from the database, ensuring anonymity. Other than that, the information a result, some of the language may be less
What can I find in the database?
The database contains the roughly 24,000 responses submitted to the EU during the call for evidence process. Some of the responses are short and sweet – just a few words. Others are quite long and detailed, resembling a well-researched position paper or policy memo.
Take me back to the database.
The database has been divided according to Country and Category. While the majority of responses come from people and organisations based in EU member states, it’s worth noting that responses came from dozens of other countries outside the European Union as well.
Why did Snusforumet choose to publish the database?
Snusforumet has been covering this EU call for evidence process since it was announced back in May 2022. Therefore it was natural for us to continue our coverage by looking for ways to help ensure our readers and the broader public could understand and follow the process. While the information is published in its raw form on the EU website, we felt the format made it difficult to really grasp the breadth of the responses and capture citizens’ reactions and reflections regarding the EU’s proposed changes to EU tobacco rules.
Thus, in an effort to increase accessibility, transparency, and useability, we decided to publish our own version of the database. The first step was translating all the non-English answers into English, the most common second language in Europe. We then organised the database by country and category in order to make it easier to compare views from different countries or organisations. We also made the database searchable, allowing users to find entries containing specific words or phrases.
We hope the database becomes a useful tool for citizens, organisations, and researchers interested in better understanding EU citizens’ views on possible changes to tobacco policy.
How can I use the EU Call for Evidence database?
In the menu below, choose a given Country or Category in order to select the subset of the data you want to explore. Data appears once the boxes are selected. Alternatively, it’s possible to search on specific terms using the field on the right.