Tobacco Agreements
The Agreements with the main tobacco manufacturers aim at ensuring that cigarettes are sold, distributed, stored and shipped in such a way as to minimise the risk of cigarettes finding their way into illicit channels.
Four Cooperation Agreements are currently in force between the Member States, the EU and Philip Morris International (PMI), JapanTobacco International (JTI), Imperial Tobacco Limited (ITL) and British American Tobacco (BAT).
The agreement with PMI is due to expire in July 2016.The agreement requires the parties to meet 2 years before the expiration date with a view to explore whether the Cooperation Agreement should be prolonged. Such a meeting took place already on 9 July 2014.
In the resolution accompanying its decision to grant the discharge to the Commission for 2012 adopted in April 2014 the Parliament asked for an assessment of the existing agreements with the four tobacco groups.