Philip Morris International (PMI) has made a public appeal to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for the tobacco sector to be given equal treatment with other lawful industries in upcoming revisions of the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) and Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
In a letter sent several months ago and published on LinkedIn by Massimo Andolina, PMI’s President for Europe, the company argues that current EU policy discriminates against tobacco through preconceptions and biased regulation.
The full letter was now made public by PMI to encourage open debate on the future of tobacco regulation in Europe.
Andolina stresses that the industry is “deeply rooted in Europe”, supports over two million jobs, contributes €180 billion in taxes annually, and maintains a “Made by Europeans” value chain larger than those of textiles and telecoms combined.
PMI highlights its ongoing transformation towards smoke-free products, backed by scientific research and innovation, and warns that the forthcoming policy revisions will determine whether Europe can retain investment, innovation, and competitiveness in this sector.
The letter calls for “inclusiveness, transparency, evidence and fairness” rather than marginalisation of a legal industry.
Brussels Signal reached out to the European Commission, but did not get a reply at the time of publication.
Critics point out that no other legal consumer product kills more than 700,000 Europeans each year, according to WHO figures, and argue that special restrictions on tobacco are justified on public health grounds rather than constituting unfair discrimination.
The appeal comes as the European Commission prepares major reviews of tobacco taxation and product rules.
PMI has positioned itself as a partner in harm reduction, promoting heated tobacco and nicotine products as better alternatives to continued cigarette smoking, while insisting that regulation should be evidence-based and non-discriminatory.
However, Brussels does not seem convinced and continues to shun the tobacco industry as a whole.
Rather than engaging constructively, the EU seems determined to further limit and tax the tobacco industry.
The sector responds by pointing to the measurable results of its harm-reduction strategy and the clear failures of prohibition-style policies, which have driven expansion of the black market and increased criminal activity.
