Reports

Cynthia Fürste

Cynthia Fürste

Cynthia Fürste is a seasoned lobbyist and Senior Director of European Government Affairs, affiliated with British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the largest multinational tobacco companies headquartered in the UK. With over 25 years of extensive experience in the multinational corporate environment and trade associations, she is recognized for her multilingual skills and deep expertise in government relations within Europe. Fürste specializes in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and representing BAT’s interests before European institutions and governments. Her role primarily involves influencing tobacco-related policies and legislation, ensuring that the company’s business priorities and market access are protected in the face of stringent tobacco control measures that have increasingly gained global momentum. Through her work, Fürste contributes to shaping political discourse and regulatory frameworks in a way that balances public policy, economic considerations, and the commercial interests of British American Tobacco.

Cynthia Fürste, representing British American Tobacco, engages in highly strategic lobbying aimed at influencing key policymakers within the United Kingdom and across Europe. Her lobbying efforts serve British American Tobacco’s core objectives: safeguarding the company’s market presence, delaying restrictive tobacco legislation, and shaping EU tobacco regulations to the firm’s advantage. British American Tobacco’s agenda, which Fürste actively promotes, extends beyond mere corporate profit. It includes preserving the economic impact of the tobacco industry in the UK, protecting jobs linked to tobacco manufacturing and distribution, and opposing international tobacco control efforts perceived as overly restrictive or damaging to business interests.

Her lobbying efforts are calibrated to align with a complex agenda. For example, BAT works to influence UK and EU regulatory frameworks such as the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), excise duties, marketing restrictions, and harm reduction policies. Deutsche sources and historic tobacco industry lobbying documents show that British American Tobacco—and by extension its lobbyists like Fürste—often seek to present themselves not only as business entities but also as responsible stakeholders engaging with public health debates, advocating harm reduction through products like e-cigarettes or reduced-risk tobacco products while attempting to undermine or delay plain packaging and smoking bans.

Behind the scenes, lobbying activities often involve nuanced messaging targeting policymakers to emphasize the economic consequences of tobacco control measures, arguing potential job losses and decreased tax revenues. Further, BAT’s lobbying may involve relationships with trade associations, think tanks, and front groups that amplify these narratives, positioning BAT and its lobbyists like Fürste as essential contributors to balanced regulatory discussions within the UK and EU.

Cynthia Fürste’s lobbying activities for British American Tobacco consist of a broad spectrum of interactions, including meetings with European Union politicians, UK government officials, and regulatory agencies. These interactions typically aim at influencing upcoming legislation or regulatory actions affecting the tobacco industry.

While specific meeting records for Cynthia Fürste are not publicly detailed in available sources, BAT’s known activity includes engaging with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the European Commission, particularly DG SANTE (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety), and national health ministries. These engagements often coincide with critical moments in tobacco regulation development, such as the introduction or revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, health warnings, ingredient disclosures, and restrictions on advertising.

Through her role, Fürste likely attends high-level policy discussions, consultations, and hearings where she presents data, economic impact analyses, and proposes less restrictive regulatory alternatives. BAT’s strategy also includes attempts to build rapport with policymakers to frame tobacco control not only as a health issue but also a socio-economic one, emphasizing the importance of innovation in harm reduction products.

The influence of these lobbying efforts can be seen in the outcomes of certain regulatory compromises that soften some of the proposed measures initially considered by European regulators. For example, BAT, through lobbying, has sought to limit the scope of advertising bans and shape the criteria of regulations on tobacco and nicotine products, contributing to more industry-favorable terms in the final policies.

Moreover, BAT’s lobbying approach under Fürste’s direction integrates coalitions with industry associations and alliances with third parties to enhance influence. These activities indicate a comprehensive, coordinated effort to maintain BAT’s competitive stance and promote its strategic interests within the regulatory frameworks of both the UK and the European Union.

No specific personal contact details for Cynthia Fürste are publicly listed. However, general contact points related to her professional affiliation include:

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