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Tag: Italy

  • EU: Italy, Greece Oppose Irish Bill on Nicotine Products

    EU: Italy, Greece Oppose Irish Bill on Nicotine Products

    According to Generation Sans Tabac, Italy and Greece submitted detailed opinions to the European Commission under the EU’s TRIS notification procedure opposing Ireland’s proposed legislation to tighten regulation of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The Irish bill would ban non-tobacco flavors, prohibit flavor-related product names, introduce plain packaging, restrict retail and online product displays, and extend these measures to nicotine pouches. Both countries argued that the proposals could create barriers to trade and conflict with the EU’s ongoing revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

    Italy questioned the proportionality of measures such as flavor bans, plain packaging, and display restrictions, arguing that less restrictive alternatives — including stronger age verification and market surveillance — should be considered. Greece raised concerns over increased compliance costs and market fragmentation, particularly for manufacturers and exporters of nicotine products. The detailed opinions extend the standstill period for Ireland’s draft law until October 7, delaying its potential implementation while the European Commission reviews the objections.

  • Philip Morris Italia Launches €1 Million Academy for Tobacconists

    Philip Morris Italia Launches €1 Million Academy for Tobacconists

    Philip Morris Italia announced the launch of the Trade Academy, a €1 million training initiative developed with the Italian Tobacconists Federation (FIT) to support the professional development of approximately 45,000 tobacconists across Italy. The program offers digital and in-person training in areas such as leadership, business management, and public speaking, as well as university scholarships and professional development opportunities for retailers and their families.

    The Trade Academy will run through the end of 2026 and is part of Philip Morris International’s broader investment in its Italian supply chain. The company said the initiative is designed to strengthen retailer competitiveness, improve customer engagement and build skills across its commercial network as part of its long-term investment in human capital.

  • PM Italia Fined €7M for ‘Smoke-Free’ Language  

    PM Italia Fined €7M for ‘Smoke-Free’ Language  

    Italy’s competition authority fined Philip Morris Italia €7 million for allegedly misleading consumers through marketing claims related to its smoke-free and non-combustible tobacco products. The regulator said an investigation launched following a complaint from Italy’s Health Ministry found that terms such as “smoke-free,” “smoke-free products,” and references to a “smoke-free future” could lead consumers, including minors, to believe heated tobacco and e-vapor products are harmless or less harmful than conventional cigarettes, despite scientific evidence that does not conclusively support such claims.

    Philip Morris Italia rejected the findings and said it will appeal, arguing that the terminology complies with Italian and European Union regulations and accurately distinguishes products that do not involve combustion from traditional cigarettes.

  • BAT CEO Talks Investment in Italy

    BAT CEO Talks Investment in Italy

    British American Tobacco CEO Tadeu Marroco was recently in Rome meeting with stakeholders, and spoke with Milano Finanza about how the company views Italy as a strategically important market, citing its stable regulatory and taxation framework, strong supplier base, and growing adoption of next-generation products, which now account for around 45% of BAT’s Italian revenue compared with 18% globally.

    “Italy represents one of the most strategic markets for BAT and [is] one of the countries in which the group can concretely realize its vision for the future,” he said. “From Italy, we continue to buy tobacco up to 15 thousand tons, which will be purchased in the three-year period 2026-2028, supporting over 400 small and medium-sized enterprises that employ 6,000 people.”

    Marroco said BAT is reinforcing its European innovation and production footprint through its Trieste Innovation Hub, where the company is investing €500 million through 2027 to expand non-combustible product manufacturing. The facility is expected to reach full capacity with 16 production lines and generate employment growth linked to BAT’s broader supply chain investments, including continued tobacco sourcing agreements supporting domestic agriculture and SMEs. The company maintains its target of deriving 50% of global revenue from smoke-free products by 2035, while also navigating regulatory complexity and illicit market growth in key regions, which BAT argues can hinder innovation and undermine public health and fiscal outcomes.

  • BAT Piloting Facial Age Verification in Italy

    BAT Piloting Facial Age Verification in Italy

    BAT Italia announced that it is partnering with digital identity firm Yoti to pilot facial age-verification technology aimed at preventing minors from purchasing nicotine products. The collaboration uses Yoti’s age-estimation service, which verifies whether a customer is over 18 through facial scanning without storing images or identifying individuals, in line with privacy regulations. The testing phase has begun in 119 BAT pop-up stores across Italy. Customers scan a QR code with their smartphone to initiate the process, adding an additional layer to standard ID checks. BAT said the system is designed to strengthen responsible sales practices for nicotine products.

    According to BAT, data from an earlier rollout in Croatia showed a 99% accuracy rate. BAT Italia said the introduction of the technology supports compliance with age-restriction laws and reflects the company’s stated commitment to preventing youth access to nicotine products.

  • Italians Bust Illicit Factory Making 4M Cigarettes Per Day

    Italians Bust Illicit Factory Making 4M Cigarettes Per Day

    Italian and European authorities dismantled a large illegal tobacco factory near Rome capable of producing up to 4 million counterfeit cigarettes a day, according to statements from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The main site, located in Pomezia, about 30 km south of Rome, manufactured cigarettes bearing well-known international brands.

    During coordinated raids, officers seized 27 tons of finished cigarettes, 19 tons of raw tobacco, large quantities of packaging materials, and four lorries (trailer trucks). A second facility in Ferentino, used for the storage of materials and finished products, was also uncovered. Seven men from Ukraine and Bulgaria were referred to judicial authorities on charges related to tobacco smuggling and trademark counterfeiting.

    Authorities estimate the operation generated products worth about €700,000 per day, or €240 million annually, resulting in roughly €160 million in unpaid taxes and excise duties. Investigators said the suspects used jamming devices and surveillance countermeasures to evade detection, with the sites ultimately identified through drones, video surveillance, and extended monitoring.

  • BAT Italia Unveils glo Hilo, a ‘New Era in Heated Tobacco’

    BAT Italia Unveils glo Hilo, a ‘New Era in Heated Tobacco’

    BAT Italia introduced glo Hilo, its latest tobacco heating device, “marking a technological leap in the heated tobacco sector.” Italy is among the first countries globally to roll out this new ecosystem, featuring sticks entirely made in Italy.

    Speaking at the event, Fabio de Petris, CEO of BAT Italia, highlighted the company’s growth and investment plans in Italy. He said that Italy represents a key market for new product categories, with one in three consumers using next-generation tobacco products, and outlined BAT’s €500 million five-year investment plan in its Trieste production hub. The facility, which now serves 14 countries, has expanded with 16 additional production lines for heated tobacco, driving new hires and reinforcing Italy’s strategic role in BAT’s global innovation strategy.

  • Philip Morris Italia Under Investigation for ‘Smoke-Free’ Language

    Philip Morris Italia Under Investigation for ‘Smoke-Free’ Language

    Italy’s competition authority launched an investigation into Philip Morris Italia for allegedly misleading advertising related to its “smoke-free” electronic cigarettes. The probe, announced today (October 15), centers on the company’s use of phrases such as “a smoke-free future” and “smoke-free products,” which regulators say could mislead consumers into believing the products are harmless.

    The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), accompanied by financial police, searched two Philip Morris offices in Italy as part of the inquiry. The watchdog said that while these products do not involve combustion, they can still pose health risks and cause addiction.

    “Philip Morris Italia believes it has always acted in full compliance with applicable regulations,” a PMI spokesperson said regarding the proceedings initiated the AGCM. “The company is confident that its communication is factual, truthful, and fully consistent with both Italian and European legislation, which associate the absence of smoke with the absence of combustion. Italian Legislative Decree No. 6/2016, which transposes EU Directive 2014/40/EU, defines in Article 2, paragraph 5, a ‘smoke-free tobacco product’ (‘smokeless tobacco product’ in the English version of the directive) as ‘a tobacco product that does not involve a combustion process.’

    “The pursuit of a smoke-free future has been the primary global objective of Philip Morris International for nearly a decade—an ambition that the Italian affiliates have been working toward for years, alongside an integrated ‘Made in Italy’ value chain involving 44,000 people.

    “The company will continue to cooperate with the Authority throughout the proceedings to demonstrate the full legitimacy of its actions.”

    The move follows similar action in France earlier this year, where Philip Morris was fined €500,000 for promoting its IQOS heated tobacco device as safer under the classification of harm reduction.

  • PMI Responds to Italian Investigation of ‘Smoke-Free’ Language

    PMI Responds to Italian Investigation of ‘Smoke-Free’ Language

    Today (October 15), the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), accompanied by financial police, searched two Philip Morris offices in Italy as part of the inquiry regarding the company’s use of phrases such as “a smoke-free future” and “smoke-free products” regarding its electronic cigarettes.

    In response, a PMI spokesperson told Tobacco Reporter:

    “With reference to the proceeding initiated yesterday by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) concerning the use of the term “smoke-free” in communications related to our corporate vision and our combustion-free products, Philip Morris Italia believes it has always acted in full compliance with applicable regulations. The Company is confident that its communication is factual, truthful, and fully consistent with both Italian and European legislation, which associate the absence of smoke with the absence of combustion. Italian Legislative Decree No. 6/2016, which transposes EU Directive 2014/40/EU, defines in Article 2, paragraph 5, a “smoke-free tobacco product”  (“smokeless tobacco product” in the English version of the Directive) as “a tobacco product that does not involve a combustion process”.

    “The pursuit of a smoke-free future has been the primary global objective of Philip Morris International for nearly a decade—an ambition that the Italian affiliates have been working toward for years, alongside an integrated Made in Italy value chain involving 44,000 people.

    “The Company will continue to cooperate with the Authority throughout the proceeding to demonstrate the full legitimacy of its actions.”

  • Italy Busts Largest Counterfeit Cigarette Factory

    Italy Busts Largest Counterfeit Cigarette Factory

    Italian customs seized over 150 tons of counterfeit cigarettes from what authorities say is the country’s largest illegal factory, located near Cassino. The 1,600-square-meter underground facility produced an estimated 2.7 billion cigarettes annually and was hidden behind a sophisticated hydraulic mechanism in a logistics warehouse.

    The bunker included three production lines, a ventilation system, and living quarters for workers. Officials estimate the operation generated over €900 million ($1.1 billion) annually, with €600 million in evaded taxes uncovered so far. Several suspects have been identified, and one person has been arrested.