Anti-tobacco lobby steps up push for duty-free ban

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The European Travel Retail Council believes the priority of the Framework Convention Alliance is a full ban on duty-free tobacco sales

The European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) has expressed its concern that anti-tobacco lobby group Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) has made the banning of duty-free sales of tobacco products to international travellers its priority. The issue is under consideration at the World Health Organization’s International Negotiating Body meeting (INB3) to discuss the protocol to combat illicit trade in tobacco products, which is taking place this week in Geneva.

In its daily bulletin for June 30, FCA stated that “it is better to ban duty-free so that there is no pretext for the storage and shipment of tax-exempt tobacco, and thus motivation and opportunity for diversion”, according to ETRC.

The Council said in a statement: “ETRC is worried that there is a serious risk that the main business of INB3—combating illicit trade—could be diverted by a last-minute, unjustifiable attack on the global duty-free industry. The FCA demands are totally disproportionate. Why should a global, law-abiding, legitimate business suffer because of a number of isolated cases of alleged criminal behaviour?”

ETRC secretary general Keith Spinks added: “Negotiations on the protocol have now moved behind closed doors, and we are extremely worried at the direction that discussions appear to be taking. Anti-smoking campaigners have clearly targeted our industry and are lobbying strongly for a ban on duty-free sales. Their call for the closure of legitimate, law-abiding businesses across the globe, ‘just in case’ they may decide to act illegally in the future, is ludicrous in the extreme. I would urge senior industry figures across the globe to quickly re-establish contact with their government authorities to ensure that positions have not changed.”

Spinks concluded: “We have 48 hours to mount a robust defence of our legitimate right to sell tobacco at duty-free prices. Banning duty-free will not make the slightest difference to the illicit trade in tobacco products. It will, however, have a pronounced effect on many airports, airlines and other legitimate duty-free operators.”