Prices and Illicit Trade of Cigarettes in the European Union: A Cross-sectional Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 2271-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippos T Filippidis ◽  
Kiara K C Chang ◽  
Isabelle Blackmore ◽  
Anthony A Laverty
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
World Health ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
Average Price ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Illicit Trade ◽  
Eu Directive

Abstract Introduction Within the context of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products and the impending revision of the European Union (EU) directive on tobacco excise rules we assessed whether cigarettes price is linked to being offered illicit cigarettes. Methods We combined data being offered illicit cigarettes from the 2015 Special Eurobarometer Survey on Illicit Tobacco (N = 27,672) with area-level data on Gross Domestic Product, unemployment, perceived corruption, and sharing a border with a non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) state. We used the 2015 Weighted Average Price of cigarettes (WAP), which reflects the average price of a cigarette pack in each Member State. We assessed associations between prices and illicit trade using three-level ordered regression models. Results About 19.6% of respondents reported ever being offered illicit cigarettes, 6.4% repeatedly. In fully adjusted models WAP was not associated with being more likely to have been offered illicit market cigarettes more often (adjusted odds ratio = 1.02, 95% confidence interval: 0.91; 1.15). Sharing a border with a non-EEA Member State was associated with increased likelihood of reporting being offered illicit cigarettes more often (1.73, 1.26; 2.39). Conclusion This study found no significant association between cigarette prices and reporting being offered illicit cigarettes; sharing a border with a non-EEA Member State was linked to illicit trade. This study adds to evidence that increasing prices of cigarettes are not associated with illicit trade and that the focus should remain on securing supply chains, including through features such as independent traceability systems. Implications After adjusting for individual and regional factors, we did not identify an association between prices of cigarettes and likelihood of reporting being offered illicit cigarettes in the EU. Sharing a border with a non-EEA state, however, was associated with increased likelihood of reporting being offered illicit cigarettes more often. This study adds to evidence that increasing taxes and prices of cigarettes are not a driver of illicit trade and that policies should maintain their focus on securing the supply chain.

Tax harmonisation and tobacco product prices in the European Union, 2004–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel López-Nicolás ◽  
Michal Stoklosa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
European Union ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Tobacco Product ◽  
Average Price ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Member States ◽  
Tobacco Tax

ObjectivesThe European Commission has formally opened a process of revision of its tobacco tax directive. The purpose of this study is to analyse the evolution of cigarette and roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco prices in order to identify avenues for the improvement of public health goals.MethodsPooled cross-sectional data on prices and taxes on cigarettes and RYO tobacco in the Member States over 2004–2015 is used to track the distributions of the most popular price category and the weighted average price of these products and to relate them to the underlying tax structure.ResultsThe inflation-adjusted prices for the two products have increased over the period, but the dispersion of prices across Member States has remained constant. Throughout the period, there was a pervasive price gap between cigarettes and RYO tobacco within the Member States. Such features are explained by the underlying tax design.DiscussionThe current tax stance has been successful at increasing both cigarette and RYO tobacco prices. To further enhance the public health impact of the European Union tax directive, the revision should promote the convergence of prices across Member States and aim at closing the price gap between cigarettes and RYO tobacco. These objectives call for increasing the mandatory minimum levels of excise duty on the two products, preferably linking them to the evolution of a European weighted average price. The pace of increase should be faster for RYO tobacco in order to close the gap with respect to cigarette prices.

scholarly journals Lessons learnt to keep Europe polio-free: a review of outbreaks in the European Union, European Economic Area, and candidate countries, 1973 to 2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarik Derrough ◽  
Alexandra Salekeen
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Wild Strain ◽  
World Health ◽  
Paralytic Poliomyelitis ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Economic ◽  
Wild Poliovirus ◽  
Economic Area

Between 1973 and 2013, 12 outbreaks of paralytic poliomyelitis with a cumulative total of 660 cases were reported in the European Union, European Economic Area and candidate countries. Outbreaks lasted seven to 90 weeks (median: 24 weeks) and were identified through the diagnosis of cases of acute flaccid paralysis, for which infection with wild poliovirus was subsequently identified. In two countries, environmental surveillance was in place before the outbreaks, but did not detect any wild strain before the occurrence of clinical cases. This surveillance nonetheless provided useful information to monitor the outbreaks and their geographical spread. Outbreaks were predominantly caused by poliovirus type 1 and typically involved unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated groups within highly immunised communities. Oral polio vaccine was primarily used to respond to the outbreaks with catch-up campaigns implemented either nationwide or in restricted geographical areas or age groups. The introduction of supplementary immunisation contained the outbreaks. In 2002, the European region of the World Health Organization was declared polio-free and it has maintained this status since. However, as long as there are non-vaccinated or under-vaccinated groups in European countries and poliomyelitis is not eradicated, countries remain continuously at risk of reintroduction and establishment of the virus. Continued efforts to reach these groups are needed in order to ensure a uniform and high vaccination coverage.

scholarly journals Legal and Administrative Time Limits in the Context of the Latest Amendments of the Act of 14 June 1960 – Administrative Procedure Code

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 11-29
Author(s):  
Alicja Batko
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
Trade Association ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Post Office ◽  
Administrative Procedure ◽  
Postal Services ◽  
Constitutional Tribunal ◽  
Administrative Proceedings

On 3 July 2019 a rule that a deadline is deemed to have been met if, before its expiry, a letter was posted at a Polish post office facility of the designated operator in the meaning of the Postal Law Act or at a postal facility of the operator providing the universal postal services in another Member State of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation or a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the European Economic Area Agreement, was introduced into the Polish administrative procedure. Prior to the date of the aforementioned amendment coming into force, it was necessary to post a letter at a Polish post office facility of the designated operator in the meaning of the Postal Law Act in order to be able to state that the deadline was met. The interim provisions introducing the above-mentioned changes stipulated that the regulation in the wording before the amendment applies to the factual circumstances that took place before the date of its coming into force. However, by virtue of the judgement of the Constitutional Tribunal of 30 October 2019 also the above-mentioned regulation expired to the extent in which it functioned under the interim provisions. The amendment of the administrative proceedings provisions and the aforementioned ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal made it possible to adjust the administrative procedure in this respect to the constitutional requirements as well as the provisions of the law of the European Union, and ensured the consistency of this regulation with analogous regulations in other proceedings in the Polish legal system.

scholarly journals The Incidence of Gonorrhea in Belgrade in the Period 2010 - 2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-121
Author(s):  
Milan Bjekić ◽  
Hristina Vlajinac ◽  
Biljana Begović-Vuksanović
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Direct Method ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
World Health ◽  
Population Census ◽  
World Population ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
The World

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2008 there were 106.1 million newly registered cases of gonorrhea among adults worldwide. Of these cases, 3.4 million were in the WHO European Region. In the European Union and European Economic Area, the overall incidence of reported cases was 15.3 per 100.000 population in 2012; the highest rate (45.4 per 100.000) was observed in the United Kingdom, while low rates (<5 per 100.000) were generally reported in the Central and Eastern Europe. In 2012, low incidence of gonorrhea (1.49/100.000) was reported in Serbia, as well. The purpose of this study was to report on the epidemiology of gonorrhea in a Belgrade population (about 1.5 million inhabitants) during the period 2010 - 2014, and to discuss data on gonorrhea rates in the European Union. In Serbia it is mandatory to report gonorrhea, and all reports of culture-proved gonorrhea are sent to the City Institute for Public Health in Belgrade. These reports were used as the source for data analysis of gonorrhea incidence. Incidence rates were calculated using data from the 2011 population census in Serbia for Belgrade population. Age-adjusted annual incidence rates were carried out by a direct method using the “world population” as a standard. During the 2010 - 2014 period, the average gonorrhea incidence in Belgrade population was 9.2 per 100.000 in men, and 1.9 per 100.000 in women. The incidence was highest in men and women aged 20 - 29 years. In all age groups gonorrhea incidence was higher in men than in women, the average male/female ratio being 4.8. In both sexes, the incidence of gonorrhea was highest in persons who had never married, with secondary education and unemployed. Out of 357 men with gonorrhea, 92 (25.77%) were self-reported homosexuals.

scholarly journals Prevention of human rabies: a challenge for the European Union and the European Economic Area

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (38) ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline M Gossner ◽  
Alexandra Mailles ◽  
Inma Aznar ◽  
Elina Dimina ◽  
Juan E Echevarría ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
European Union ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
World Health ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Human Rabies ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Economic ◽  
Economic Area

Rabies is enzootic in over one hundred countries worldwide. In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), the vast majority of human rabies cases are travellers bitten by dogs in rabies-enzootic countries, mostly in Asia and Africa. Thus, EU/EEA travellers visiting rabies enzootic countries should be aware of the risk of being infected with the rabies virus when having physical contact with mammals. They should consider pre-exposure vaccination following criteria recommended by the World Health Organization and if unvaccinated, immediately seek medical attention in case of bites or scratches from mammals. As the majority of the EU/EEA countries are free from rabies in mammals, elimination of the disease (no enzootic circulation of the virus and low number of imported cases) has been achieved by 2020. However, illegal import of potentially infected animals, mainly dogs, poses a risk to public health and might threaten the elimination goal. Additionally, newly recognised bat lyssaviruses represent a potential emerging threat as the rabies vaccine may not confer protective immunity. To support preparedness activities in EU/EEA countries, guidance for the assessment and the management of the public health risk related to rabies but also other lyssaviruses, should be developed.

The EU Influence on Norwegian Domestic Legislation for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Johansen
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Environmental Legislation ◽  
Economic Area ◽  
Domestic Legislation ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
The Eu

Abstract In the last several decades, the European Union (EU) has demonstrated its intention to play an important role in supporting Arctic cooperation and helping to meet the challenges now facing the region. Norway, one of the five Arctic coastal states, and the EU have cooperated closely in this regard, particularly through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement). This article examines how Norway’s domestic legislation applicable to its Arctic marine areas has been influenced by the development of EU environmental legislation. Specifically, this paper provides a discussion and analysis of the relevant Norwegian laws and mechanisms used to regulate how EU environmental legislation has been incorporated into Norway’s domestic legislation through the EEA Agreement.

ANTI-SUIT INJUNCTIONS IN ARBITRAL AWARDS: ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-415
Author(s):  
Ewelina Kajkowska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
State Courts ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
The Status ◽  
Recognition And Enforcement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Brussels Regulation

THE status of anti-suit injunctions in Europe has long given rise to controversy. The decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-536/13, Gazprom OAO [2015] All E.R. (EC) 711 sheds a new light on the relationship between anti-suit injunctions and the European jurisdiction regime embodied in the Brussels Regulation (Regulation No. 44/2001 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters). In this much anticipated judgment, the Court of Justice confirmed that, by virtue of the arbitration exclusion in Article 1(2)(d) of the Brussels Regulation, Member State courts are not precluded from enforcing anti-suit injunctions issued by arbitration tribunals and aimed at restraining the proceedings before Member State courts. Although the decision was given before the Recast Brussels Regulation came into force (Regulation No. 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, effective from 10 January 2015), it can be assumed that the same conclusion would have been reached under the new law.

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