JTI fined in the Netherlands
The NVWA, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, has fined Japan Tobacco International for allegedly making agreements that paid student associations to sell only Winston and Camel brands in cigarette vending machines on student association properties, according to a NL Times story relayed by the TMA.
The potentially illegal agreements came to light due to an investigation by Tabak, which was said to have been a collaboration between investigative journalists and the Dutch Journal of Medicine.
The investigation was followed up by the NVWA.
The NVWA’s spokesman said he could not reveal the number or amounts of the fines.
However, the Dutch daily newspaper, Trouw, reported that there were nine fines, and the spokesman said that fines started at €45,000 but could go ‘much higher’.