Member States’ Ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) gave their green light on Wednesday 27 May to draft EU Council conclusions in favour of modernising the EU regulatory framework on excise duty rates on manufactured tobacco (see EUROPE 12492/24).
The text asks the European Commission to present a legislative proposal, on the basis of updated information and after carrying out an impact assessment, to ensure equal tax treatment between new tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, which do not fall into any category of products subject to excise duties under Directive 2011/64/EU.
While Hungary supports the text, it nevertheless wished to annex a statement to the conclusions to make it clear that the text could not be interpreted as a commitment on its part to align this increase, in the event of an increase in the minimum rates of excise duty on a tobacco product, with those applicable in Member States which have recently increased the rates of excise duty on that tobacco product.
The conclusions should be formally adopted by written procedure next week. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)