Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002391/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Roberto Vannacci (PfE)
The Commission intends to revise the Tobacco Excise Tax Directive[1] (Directive 2011/64/EU) to increase minimum rates and extend taxation to alternative products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Commissioner Hoekstra’s statements would appear to be paving the way for an increase in tobacco excise duties across the board, with scant regard for the specific production methods, culture-specific features and consumption habits associated with the various categories of tobacco products.
According to press sources, the revision of the directive will lead to exorbitant increases in excise duties in several Member States (+820% in Hungary, +494% in Luxembourg and +43% in Romania)[2].
The proposal appears likely to aggravate disparities at European level, raising serious concerns for the single market and particularly penalising countries whose economies are integrated in the supply chain such as Italy – the EU’s leading producer of raw tobacco – which holds a 27% market share as the producer of a total of some 50 000 tonnes/year[3].
This revision would compromise exports of high-quality Italy-made products, such as Tuscan cigars, by introducing a minimum excise duty of EUR 120 per thousand cigars or 40 % of the retail price.
Can the Commission therefore say:
- 1.How it intends to protect Italian and European tobacco producers, safeguarding the competitiveness and economic sustainability of their respective supply chains?
- 2.What specific steps it will take to ensure that the revision does not compromise the integrity of the single market, avoiding distortions of competition between Member States?
Submitted: 13.6.2025
- [1] https://www.eunews.it/2025/05/16/tabacco-hoekstra-annuncia-una-proposta-di-aumento-delle-tasse-sui-nuovi-prodotti/.
- [2] https://www.monetaweb.it/economia-politica/bruxelles-spegne-il-sigaro-toscano-la-tassa-occulta/.
- [3] https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3426#:~:text=L%27Italia%20%C3%A8%20il%20primo,Umbria%2C%20il%20Veneto%20e%20la.