EC defends tracking system

Responding to the stiff resistance to the adoption of a track-and-trace system for tobacco products by May 2019 in the European Union, a European Commission (EC) spokesperson said the plan is fully in line with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as it gives the authority over the system to member states and not the tobacco industry, according to a report on EurActiv.com.

“The Commission considers that the combination of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products negotiated in the context of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are the best instruments to fight illicit trade by regulatory means,” said Former Budget Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.

The EC published the final two draft acts on the track-and-trace system as a public consultation closed on Oct. 2.

Several member states, including France, Germany and Italy criticized the proposal, citing its complexity and administrative burden.

In a letter to the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, the EU Distributors’ Union said the proposal was cumbersome and costly and would add little or no value to the fight against the illicit trade.

The union stated the system totally ignored the internationally recognized standards, which it said are the only way to secure interoperability between states and across industries.