Deadline approaches to challenge proposed tobacco ban

Bill Lumley

Print Article E-Mail Article E-Mail Author

ETRC argues that World Health Organization protocol wording associating duty-free tobacco supply chain with smuggling is unfounded

European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) has urged companies from across the travel-retail industry to lobby their governments if they have not already done so to prevent the abolition of tobacco duty-free sales.

ETRC secretary general Keith Spinks has warned that there are just weeks left for the global tobacco duty-free channel to lobby for a change to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) protocol on illicit trade that threatens a ban on the sale and import of duty-free tobacco products. The wording of the misleading protocol associating duty-free tobacco with smuggling is up for negotiation on June 28.

“If they have not already done so companies urgently need to convey to the authorities that this issue is on the table for negotiation on June 28 and persuade them of the importance of ensuring that they oppose anything that calls for the abolition of duty-free sales of tobacco products to international travellers,” he said.

He added: “We have had much engagement with key stakeholders including Airports Council International (ACI), ACI Europe and the International Air Transport Association, which have all confirmed their full support for what we are trying to do. They will be using their own political and industry contacts to argue that there should be no challenge to the duty-free tobacco category in the FCTC protocol on illicit trade.”