Feedback period: 30 March 2021 – 22 June 2021
Topic: Customs, Public health, Taxation
Target audience
This public consultation is targeting all stakeholders: citizens, businesses, representative organisations and public authorities of the Member States (Ministries of finance, tax and health authorities), academics, researchers and non-governmental organisations.
Why we are consulting
The EU taxation rules for tobacco products define and classify various tobacco products and lay down the relevant minimum tax rates applied to manufactured tobacco. Minimum tax rates for tobacco products have lost their effect. Divergences in the rates among Member States lead to excessive cross border purchases and to an incentive for some individuals and criminal organisations to engage in fraudulent activity. Furthermore, the current rules are not aligned to address market developments and the entry into the market of new products, such as e-cigarettes or heated tobacco. The current EU rules are being reviewed to ensure that they remain fit for purpose to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market and at the same time a high level of health protection. This is particularly important in the context of the European Action Plan against Cancer, as taxation plays a pivotal role in reducing tobacco consumption, in particular in deterring youth from smoking. This public consultation aims to ensure that all relevant stakeholders have an opportunity to express their views on the current rules and on possible changes to these rules.
Responding to the questionnaire
You can contribute to this consultation by filling in the online questionnaire. If you are unable to use the online questionnaire, please contact us using the email address below.
Questionnaires are available in some or all official EU languages. You can submit your responses in any official EU language. For reasons of transparency, organisations and businesses taking part in public consultations are asked to register in the EU’s Transparency Register.
Personal data and privacy statement
The European Union is committed to protecting your personal data and to respecting your privacy. When carrying out public consultations we adhere to the policy on ‘protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions’, based on Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on processing of personal data by the EU institutions. Further information on the protection of your personal data.