THE MADRID GENERAL AGREEMENT

In May 1994 the Madrid Autonomous Community Health Department and the Madrid HORECA Association (AMERC) signed a general agreement which fosters accommodation of smokers and non-smokers in the city's restaurants and cafeterias.

Following is a sumary of its key provisions:

It is desirable to set up sections reserved for non-smoking customers without harming the legitimate economic and commercial interests of the establishment concerned.

It is expedient to encourage tolerance and courtesy between smoking and non-smoking customers, on the basis of mutual respect.

  • As of October 1, 1994, the Madrid Autonomous Community Health Department and the Association of Restaurants and Cafetarias Managers of Madrid, will jointly launch a communication campaign, targeting restaurants with over 25 tables, on the desirability of reserving a section of the establishment for non-smokers.
  • The non-smoking section will be duly marked and it is recommended that it covers a surface area of at least 25% of the total capacity of the tables.
  • Where, for practical reasons, it is not possible to create a non-smoking section, air extraction and airconditioning systems must be installed.
  • To verify the degree of voluntary adherence to the agreement, a monitoring commission is created, which will convene on a six-monthly basis, to:
(a) Conduct the census of restaurants with more than 25 tables.
(b) To evaluate the degree of establishment of non-smoking sections.
(c) To resolve any doubts that might arise regarding the application of the agreement.

  • The terms of this GENERAL AGREEMENT OF COLLABORATION will run for four years and can be renewed for a term of equal duration with the agreement of both parties.

Back one page <><> Back to main page

CNN.com Updates

forces-cdn.com v 4_3