Going it alone

The EU Commission has said that figures showing a high level of illicit cigarettes entering France from Algeria are principally a matter for the French authorities.
The Commission was responding to questions from the Czech member of the EU Parliament, Tomáš Zdechovský.
Zdechovský had said that France was the EU member state that recorded the highest volumes of illegal cigarettes each year.
‘Algeria is the country of origin of 3.19 billion cigarettes, i.e. over 35 percent of the total, according to a study of the illicit cigarette market commissioned by the Royal United Services Institute,’ he said, before asking.

1. ‘Is OLAF supporting France in investigating the routes from Algeria?
2. ‘Has OLAF considered that those routes may include other member states (e.g. Spain)?’

In reply, the Commission said that the figures quoted did not come from a Report of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). ‘They are principally a matter for the French authorities to consider,’ it said. ‘France has so far not requested OLAF’s assistance in this regard.’
The Commission went on to say that, in general, OLAF had a unique investigative mandate to fight tobacco smuggling into the EU. ‘In complex cross-border cases in particular, OLAF can bring significant added value by helping co-ordinate anti-smuggling operations carried out by law-enforcement agencies across Europe,’ it said. ‘OLAF works to ensure that evaded duties are recovered, criminal smuggling networks are dismantled and perpetrators brought to justice. In such cases, OLAF always considers implications on other member states and countries outside the European Union.’
In recent years, the Commission added, EU member states had seized between 3.1 and 3.8 billion cigarettes each year. ‘OLAF contributed to the seizure of more than 1.5 billion cigarettes over the last three years,’ it said. ‘Detailed information and examples about joint customs operations (JCOs) co-ordinated by OLAF which have led to the seizure of tobacco products can be found in the OLAF reports for 2017 and 2016.’