Black market cigarettes in EU reach near 11% and benefit organised crime
More than one in every ten cigarettes consumed in the European Union comes from illegal trafficking. In France the figure rises to 41%, whilst Brussels finalises a new directive aimed at tackling the phenomenon without inadvertently boosting it.
Black market cigarettes in EU reach near 11% and benefit organised crime
The deadline for citizens and institutions to submit observations on the forthcoming EU directive on tobacco products closes in Brussels on Monday, 15 June. The public consultation is concluding at a moment when cigarette smuggling already represents more than 10% of the total smoked in the twenty-seven member states, according to Diario de Sevilla.
No country better illustrates the severity of the problem than France. There, the volume of tobacco from illicit sources amounts to 41.4% of national consumption. The combination of high taxes and strict restrictions has displaced millions of smokers towards underground channels managed by criminal organisations.
The consequence is a double blow for the state: on one hand, tax revenues that evaporate; on the other, capital that feeds criminal structures. Plain packaging, conceived as a deterrent tool, has proven an unexpected ally for counterfeiters by removing the security features of legitimate brands.
Miguel Ángel Martínez, newly appointed European president of the tobacconists' association, advocates for decisions founded on real statistics rather than assumptions. His sector proposes strengthening authorised retail points as the only way to control ages, track merchandise, and collect taxes.
The regulatory debate also affects innovations such as vaporisers, combustion-free heating systems, or nicotine pouches. The Spanish Association of Consumers has called for a voice in the final drafting, warning that banning flavours or tightening regulations could push users back towards traditional cigarettes or towards uncontrolled digital platforms, with risks to health and the protection of minors.
The Commission must now decide whether tightening the legal framework will effectively reduce consumption or, through a rebound effect, further expand the business of gangs dedicated to the illegal trafficking of tobacco on the continent.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)