In an opinion article this week on Euractiv, Arnaldo Abruzzini, CEO of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, criticised the European Commission for disregarding SMEs when assessing the impact of policy. A newly released study produced by the Association found the Commission regularly sets aside its own guidelines. Read More
Last week, the European Commission held discussions on the implementing acts meant to introduce a track and trace system for tobacco products in the EU. Read More
An obvious correlation exists between the highest levels of illegal and non-domestic consumption (e.g. France, UK, Ireland, Poland and Finland) and the highest taxation rates applied to fine-cut toconsbacco, in comparison with cigarettes. The figures clearly show that any alignment of tobacco taxation, regardless of the products’ specificities, will prevent fine-cut tobacco from fulfilling its buffer function, leading to increased illegal trade of cigarettes and driving down government revenues.
Read more about the relationship between tax and illegal trade