Consumer Affairs Minister Horst Seehofer told a major German newspaper over the weekend that 2007 will be the year smoking becomes illegal in public buildings in Germany.

"I expect that we will have a smoking ban sometime during 2007," he told the newspaper Tagesspiegel am Sonntag. He said the ban will be put on the agenda when parliament reconvenes after its summer break.

"Common sense, and necessary"

Germany is one of a dwindling number of EU countries that does not have a nationwide smoking ban in either public spaces or bars and restaurants. Seehofer said it was not acceptable that people can just light up in nursing homes, hospitals and other municipal buildings, calling a smoking ban "common sense, and necessary."

But whether or not the ban extends to pubs and restaurants still needs to be debated, Seehofer added. That comment elicited angry responses from political opponents and physicians.

Seehofer noted that restaurants have "actually said they are prepared to create more non-smoking sections." But, he added, "to date, I am very unhappy with the progress. The pubs have moved much too slowly toward creating more non-smoking areas."

Künast urges movement

Greens parliamentary party leader Renate Künast told news agencies that Seehofer should "stop giving sound bites" on the matter and "finally do his homework." She called the rejuvenated debate on pubs and smoking a diversionary tactic from the fact that Seehofer has not yet put into effect a promised ban on tobacco advertising.

Meanwhile, the president of the German Physicians' Association responded critically to Seehofer's comments. Jörg-Dietrich Hoppe said that politicians should put into place a "consistent" smoking ban that would extend to restaurants and pubs.

In a statement to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, Hoppe urged the politicians not to do "just half a job." He said including pubs and restaurants in the smoking ban is a must.

He also sharply criticized the Association of Hotels and Inns, which he blames for trying to skirt measures to provide non-smoking areas for patrons. There is reportedly no proof that the association has been holding its members to an agreed-to goal of 30 percent non-smoking seats in 30 percent of pubs by March of 2006.