The Irish Times reports that plain cigarette packaging has started appearing in Irish stores before the September deadline by which all packs will have to be standardised. Ireland is the third EU country and fourth worldwide to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes, after France, the UK and Australia. Read More
EU Observer reports that MEPs have rejected the last minute attempt by French MEP Younous Omarjee to object the Delegated Act adopted in December last year. The proposal to veto the bill was supported by seven MEPs, with 45 rejecting the veto, and one abstaining. Read More
An article in Algemeen Dagblad reports that a court in The Hague has decided that cafes, restaurants and other catering establishments may no longer have smoking areas following a lawsuit. Bernadet Naber, from the Association of the Hospitality Industry, says that a lot of money has been invested in smoking rooms and she’s not sure what is going to happen now following this announcement. Read More
EU Observer has published an interview with Luk Joossens of the Association of European Cancer Leagues. Mr Joossens correctly points out the need to step up the fight against illegal trade in tobacco and to implement an effective system to do so. His assertion, however, that it is too late for the European Parliament to veto the bill on a track and trace system is tinged with irony: regardless of whether the Parliament vetoes the bill or not, it is highly unlikely that the track and trace system will be implemented on time for 2019. 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