Brussels, 21/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Finland joined the legal action initiated last November by the European Commission against the American cigarette manufacturers Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds. After Italy, Spain, Germany and France, Finland is the fifth Union Member State to join the complaint for contraband filed at the New York Court (US District Court - Eastern District) by the Commission on behalf of the Community and its Member States. The Commission intends to gain compensation for the losses that the smuggling of cigarettes in Europe incurred on the Community budget and that of the Member States (see EUROPE of 18 January, p.12 and 6/7 November 2000, p.9).