Tobacco Illicit Trade Protocol – licensing of equipment and the supply chain
A consultation on the control of tobacco manufacturing equipment and possible licensing of those involved in the supply chain for tobacco products.
This consultation is about Article 6 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Protocol. The aim of the Protocol is to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products.
At Autumn Statement 2015 the government announced its intention to consult on Article 6 of the Protocol.
Article 6 of the Protocol is concerned with registration or licensing of participants who trade in tobacco and tobacco products.
The consultation is seeking views on two aspects of Article 6:
- the mandatory control of tobacco manufacturing equipment
- whether the UK should license wholesalers, retailers, brokers etc of tobacco products
The government is keen to ensure that any response to the illicit tobacco trade is proportionate and does not add an undue administrative burden on business. It will therefore be seeking views from a wide range of stakeholders to establish clear evidence-based rationale for its decisions.
No decisions have yet been made in relation to whether parties in a supply chain should be licensed or whether some but not all parties should be licensed.