Are tobacconists being “smoked” by the Lecornu government ? Last Tuesday, the France joined forces with seven other European countries to call for tougher regulations on nicotine products. An initiative led by the Dutch Minister of Health, Sophie Hermans, and addressed to the European Commissioner for Health, Olivér Várhelyi. The European letter calls in particular for a ban on the marketing of any new product containing nicotine, a ban on flavorings at Union level and the generalization of plain packaging. The signatory ministers also want to strengthen control of advertising on social networks and restrict purchases from sellers established outside the European Union. So many measures of which tobacconists would not have been informed.
“To our knowledge, this commitment has not been the subject of any announcement, any public debate or any information from Parliament”deplores the president of the Confederation of tobacconists in a letter addressed to Matignon that the Tangwall Campagin was able to consult. Who gave the green light to this French signature? Has the Prime Minister been contacted? Which ministries participated in the discussions? The Confederation is demanding answers. “We have not found any trace of interministerial arbitration within the usual framework for coordinating France’s European positions”writes Serdar Kaya. “The tobacconists, employees of the customs administration and linked to the State by a processing protocol, were not consulted”he still asserts. The list of potentially forgotten players is long: planters, manufacturers and distributors of vaping products, wholesalers, specialized stores, representatives of adult consumers, customs and local elected officials.
The black market in ambush
“Tobacconists do not contest the public health objective”assures Serdar Kaya, the traders being, according to him, “every day on the front line to enforce the ban on sales to minors”. On the other hand, they fear that the regulatory tightening will produce the opposite effect to that sought. “No impact study, health, economic, fiscal, security or territorial, has been presented to us”denounces Serdar Kaya. The profession therefore fears that the ban on certain products and the accumulation of restrictions will shift part of the demand towards the parallel market, which, according to the estimates cited, already exceeds 50% in certain departments. The Confederation also criticizes the identical treatment reserved, in the European letter, for cigarettes and non-combustion alternatives, “which deviates from the hierarchy of risks recognized by several health authorities”.
The Confederation asks Matignon to specify who decided on the French co-signature, which ministries were consulted, whether Parliament was informed and whether the services of the European Commission encouraged this initiative. She also wants to know if France intends to defend these orientations during negotiations in the Council and if an impact study will be carried out before any final position. And to conclude: “We would like any additional commitment from France on this issue to be suspended until a consultation has been opened with all the stakeholders concerned. » There European Commission must present by the end of the year its proposal to revise the directive on tobacco products, in force since 2014.
