Government and industry
take a significant step in the fight against tobacco smuggling
Justine Greening,
the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, today signed significant
anti-smuggling agreements with the international tobacco
manufacturer British American Tobacco (BAT).
The agreements complement existing legislation that requires all
tobacco manufacturers to prevent smuggling through careful control
of their supply chains.
They will facilitate better control of tobacco smuggling with
enhanced co-operation from other Member States as a result of
better working relationships with EU partners. They will also hold
the tobacco manufacturers accountable for their actions and
encourage responsible trade by requiring BAT to make
substantial annual payments to the EU and participating Member
States over a period of years and to put in place measures to
control the supply and distribution of their products.
BAT will also be required to make supplemental payments to Member
States if their product is found smuggled in significant volumes.
In return, the manufacturers are released from any civil claims
arising out of past conduct relating to illicit trade.
Justine Greening said:
“These agreements are an important step forward in the fight
against tobacco smuggling. Signing them sends a clear and
consistent signal that we are working in step with the EU, other
Member States and tobacco manufacturers to tackle the illicit
trade in tobacco products.”
Notes to Editors
1. Since the UK’s first Tackling Tobacco Smuggling
strategy was published in 2000, HM Revenue & Customs and
the UK Border Agency have:
reduced the proportion of illicit cigarettes from 21 per cent in
2000 to 13 per cent;seized more than 14 billion cigarettes and
more than 1,000 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco in the UK and
abroad;broken up 370 criminal gangs involved in large-scale
smuggling;prosecuted more than 2,000 people and issued more than
£35m worth of confiscation orders.
NAT 37/10
Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press
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