Click down below to watch the Consumer Choice Center breakout session during the 8th Friedman Conference, which has gone digital this year.
New EU rule changes would mean bad news for Smokers and Vapers alike
In its conclusions in June, the European Council approved a new consensus on excise duties on tobacco. The member states suggest rule changes that would increase the price of tobacco, and equally affect non-tobacco products such as e-cigarettes. Since 2011, the European Union has had a common minimum excise duty on tobacco products, which notably increased the […]
[Podcast] The Rational Standard Podcast: Tobacco Prohibition and the Nanny State
Click down below to listen to the latest episode of The Rational Standard podcast, run by The Rational Standard in South Africa.
Here’s who the “Frugal Four” are and why you should root for them
In order to respond to COVID-19 and the economic collapse that we are experiencing as a result of the lockdown measures, the European Commission has laid out an ambitious program to tackle the situation. During the European Council meeting on June 19, EU heads of state and government were not able to find common ground […]
Why Some Statues In Europe Should Be Torn Down (And Others Shouldn’t)
Imagine visiting the German city of Frankfurt and walking down Heinrich Himmler Avenue, taking a left on Reinhard Heydrich Plaza, continuing down Joseph Goebbels Boulevard, and ending up in front of a golden statue of Adolf Hitler. It would never happen—in fact, sounds like a scene out of the TV show Man in the High Castle.
[Video] World Vape Day 2020
Click below to watch the day-long coverage by the World Vapers Alliance of World Vape Day 2020, in which I took part as well. My panel starts on the time stamp 2:26:32.
The Court Decision That Shook The European Union
Usually a decision out of Germany that changes the entire European continent isn’t a good thing. However, in this case, it could represent the biggest institutional upset in the history of the European Union. Miguel Poiares Maduro of the European University Institute’s School of Transnational Governance puts it this way: “It is not the first time […]
The great airline refund scam
At first 12, now 16 EU member states are looking to overturn rules requiring airlines to refund passengers with cash payments if their flight had been cancelled as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions. The companies have been lobbying the European Council to disable Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the […]
“Papers, please” cannot return
The coronavirus lockdown drags on, yet only a few fringe fanatics (and France, but I repeat myself) support continuing complete shutdowns of the world’s economies. However, even those countries that have opted to end forced quarantines still present a range of worrying responses. One of these ongoing debates surrounds the so-called “Corona apps,” with which […]
Modern agriculture is actively under threat — we need to save it
Mycotoxins represent an active and palpable threat to the health of consumers, with millions affected particularly in developing nations. The open hostility towards certain crop protection measures has emphasised this problem, as fungicides are coming under fire. The scientific method and consumer health should be the metrics of public agricultural policy.
