Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with international counterparts on the smuggling of illegal tobacco across the EU and into the UK.

HMRC holds regular discussions with international counterparts regarding the smuggling of illicit tobacco which impacts on the UK. The majority of these discussions take place through HMRC’s Network of Diplomatically accredited Fiscal Crime Liaison Officers (FCLOs). FCLOs are posted to Embassies and High Commissions across the globe in key locations to tackle the threat with assistance from overseas Customs, Tax and Law Enforcement agencies. HMRC also works closely with multilateral bodies such as the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Europol.

FCLOs regularly share intelligence regarding illicit tobacco with overseas partners each year resulting in a revenue saving to the UK of over £500 million. Other areas of HMRC also share and request intelligence and evidence relating to illicit tobacco in order to directly disrupt and prosecute organised criminal groups smuggling illicit tobacco to the UK.

HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service and Risk and Intelligence Service also regularly engages with other EU member states in order to tackle illicit tobacco through fora such as EMPACT (European Multi-disciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats), which includes Joint Action Days, and with Joint Investigation Teams through Eurojust.

HMRC engage with the EU at a policy level and have recently agreed regulations for the introduction of an EU wide track and trace system for the control of genuine tobacco products under the Tobacco Products Directive. HMRC also work on the design and implementation of the EU illicit tobacco strategy, the Fight against Illicit Tobacco Trade (FITT).