– We have amendments to the Tobacco Directive in Poland and here Poland has a more product and taxation approach, and the EU, the European Commission, intends to have a excise approach, i.e. double the excise work on cigarettes.
This is the idea, which Commissioner Hoekstra believes is to harmonise rates, which will reduce illegal smuggling of goods and fight the grey zone. In my opinion, specified a drastic increase in prices can even have the other effect, i.e. make a grey region – says Newseria Elżbieta Łukacijewska, a Euro MP from PO.
MEPs talk about the hazard of legislative chaos
The Ministry of wellness has developed a fresh draft government introducing further bans on tobacco products – the complete elimination of e-cigarettes and the ban on aromas in nicotine bags. It is likely that in the next 2 to 3 years Poland will gotta implement a fresh directive on all tobacco products, which the European Commission is about to start working on. Euro MPs talk about the hazard of legislative chaos, overregulation and indicate the risks associated with the proposed taxation increase.
The fresh EU Directive is to be 1 of the most crucial tobacco markets in the associate States and to be a determinant of the activities of the full business in the coming years. The law is to regulate the sale and marketing of all nicotine and tobacco products. The EC besides wants to harmonise cigaret prices in EU countries and rise the minimum excise work rate.
Too advanced prices always make a black, illegal marketplace enter
As he points out, smokers and users of another nicotine products will search opportunities to buy cheaper alternatives, which means reaching for supplies from the black market, for products of unknown origin and with unexplored content.
– I am afraid that double the price increase will origin those who pay immense taxes to the state budget, including the Polish state, to have a major problem or to grow again competition of unknown origin, and thousands of PLN or euro will gotta spend on fighting cigaret smuggling. So, of course, all decision should be considered, but it's only in the plans. It is not yet on the table in the European Parliament," says Elżbieta Łukacijewska. "Too advanced prices always make a black, illegal marketplace enter, which is simply a tragedy and for smokers, due to the fact that it is not known what they smoke, what is inside, but it can besides be a threat to the budget, and whether we like it or not, the proceeds from this sector are huge.
Increases in rates are a substance which requires reasonable discussion in the associate States
In Poland, on 1 April this year, the Act on raising excise work rates and extending it to fresh products, including vaporization devices, including e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters, nicotine sachets or disposable electronic cigarettes entered into force. According to the Euro MP, the increase in rates is an issue which requires reasonable discussion in the associate States. It is the Dutch government that is powerfully pushing the European Commission to velocity up its work on the beginning of the Tobacco Directive. At present, the excise work on cigarettes in the Netherlands amounts to €7.66 per package and is 1 of the highest in the EU, as a consequence of which the prices of cigarettes are among the highest, alongside those in Ireland and France. Dutch smokers thus frequently go for products from abroad.
– I hope that there will be centering and common sense here, speaking of excise matters, due to the fact that erstwhile it comes to restrictions, the ban on the usage of all those substances that we know are dangerous, I am signing with 2 hands for specified a proposal," emphasises the MEP.
The EU inactive has ambitions to make decisions that are overregulation
"The European Union has promised that there will be little bureaucracy and little interference with specified solutions, and it is precisely the opposite. He inactive has ambition to make decisions that are overregulation. That, by the way, makes us have 2 legal orders. It is simply a pity that our Presidency has not been utilized to halt or simply merge specified a solution, says Newseria Anna Zalewski, associate of the European Parliament of Law and Justice.
Two legal orders consequence from the fact that Poland is besides making changes in regulations concerning the tobacco and nicotine markets. Recently, the Ministry of wellness announced a fresh task introducing a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and a ban on the usage of aromas in nicotine bags. It is at the phase of public consultation. Legislative work at EU and Polish level may coincide over time and at the same time at the level of details may differ. Experts point out that this is another draft amendment to the government on tobacco products and in addition to the erstwhile ones.
It's a full chaos.
– We should wait, after all, during the Presidency there were meetings of wellness ministers, and this was an chance and even a request to rise these issues alternatively than being raised. As a result, absolute chaos is preparing," says Anna Zalewski. I'm always for deregulation and the free market. Therefore, I am very frequently at this phase erstwhile decisions are taken in the European Union at the level of directives or regulations.
