On Friday 7 December, the European Commission adopted a second action plan (2018-2022) to fight the illicit tobacco trade, with several initiatives aimed at limiting the supply of, or demand for, illicit products.
This plan builds on the first action plan (2013-2017), by keeping focus on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol at the global level and the new European traceability system for tobacco products in the EU.
The second action plan provides for both political and operational law enforcement measures, since "only a combination of these measures can lead to a sustainable reduction in the illicit tobacco trade", the Commission argues.
This action plan seeks to further strengthen certain aspects of the EU strategy. It aims to combat the illicit tobacco trade more systematically from a market perspective, recognising that the black market for cigarettes exists only because there are buyers and sellers of these products. It is therefore proposed to: - focus efforts on some of the key input materials going into the illicit manufacture of tobacco products, ranging from raw tobacco and cigarette filters to manufacturing and packing equipment; and - to raise awareness among consumers of the dangers of buying illicit tobacco products and the direct links to organised crime. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)