2021/0324/LT
EC/EFTA
LT Lithuanie
  • X00M - MARCHANDISES ET PRODUIT-DIVERS
2021-09-06
2021-06-10

Unprocessed tobacco (raw tobacco)

Draft Law No. XIIIP-5126(2) on the amendment of Articles 1, 2, 3, 9(1), 10, 11, 12, 14, 25, 26 and the title of Chapter II, the title of Section One of Chapter II and the title of Chapter IV of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania No. I-1143 on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products

The draft law aims to:

1. establish the licensing for the wholesale trade of unprocessed tobacco (raw tobacco);
2. set the requirements for entities wishing to acquire licences to engage in the wholesale trade of unprocessed tobacco;
3. establish the conditions of the licensed activity and requirements for the sale, storage and transportation of unprocessed tobacco;
4. establish economic sanctions for non-compliance with the unprocessed tobacco practices.

The draft law proposes, inter alia, a ban on retail sales of unprocessed tobacco, since the simple and inexpensive treatment of raw tobacco with very simple equipment makes it possible to produce processed tobacco that can be used for the illicit manufacturing of tobacco products, so that the retail ban on raw tobacco shall be directed towards preventing the production of illicit tobacco products.
It should be noted that the concepts set out in Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of Article 2 of Draft Law No. XIIIP-5126(2) will be adjusted accordingly, taking into account the Law No. XIV-295 on the amendment of Articles 2, 9, 9(2), 9(3), 9(10), 9(11), 14, 14(1), 16, 18, 25 and 26 of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania No. I-1143 on the Control of Tobacco, Tobacco Products and Related Products, which was adopted by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on 13 May 2021
[https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/4cf6f7a0beaf11eba2bad9a0748ee64d, see the concepts of the terms import, importer and importation referred to in Article 1 of Law
No. XIV-295] and which fully aligned these concepts with the Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the approximation of
the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacturing, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products and
repealing Directive 2001/37/EC (communication TRIS/(2020) 03590 and TRIS/(2021) 00304 on notification 2020/0404/LT).