Tobacco industry influence over EU Track and Trace (T&T) consultation process

In an article for the British Medical Journal, Dr. Allen Gallagher from the University of Bath’s Tobacco Control Research Group analysed submissions to the EU’s public consultation on tobacco traceability and security features. The EU’s T&T system became operational in May 2019 as part of a requirement of The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

Featured in The Times, the article investigates the transparency of financial links between consultation respondents and the tobacco industry. It found that two thirds of the identified consultation respondents had financial links to the industry and that collectively these respondents held policy positions similar to transnational tobacco companies and supported an industry-operated T&T solution.

The article exposes extensive lobbying efforts by the tobacco industry to influence the EU’s T&T system and calls for the improved transparency with regards to relationships between consultation respondents and the tobacco industry.

You can read the full article here.