Ref. Ares(2019)480628 - 28/01/2019
Ref. Ares(2019)621986 - 04/02/2019
European Commission
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200
1049 Brussels
Belgium
Paris, July 3, 2018
Dear Sir,
On behalf of all European tobacco growers, UNITAB is glad to invite you to its 36th Congress
to be held from 15 to 17 October 2018, in Brussels (Hotel Crowne Plaza), on the theme “Hold
its place in a challenging World”.
While EU agriculture, in the midst of a global crisis, looks forward to restore a minimum of
stability, tobacco growing sector has to raise awareness about its social and economic reality.
This crop had proved successfully regarding employment, rural development and
countryside’s diversity. It provides a real opportunity to maintain the most vulnerable small
and medium-size farms.
Yet, European tobacco growing sector has to challenge itself in an evolving and rather
unfriendly environment. European tobacco growers will have to:
- Resist to increasingly hardline regulations (FCTC, TPD, taxes…) and measures of
“demand limitation” gradually moving to "supply limitation" measures. The WHO
clearly targets the agricultural sector.
- Challenge themselves to restore profitability, to retain the interest of manufactures
through the young European Interbranch and to enter innovative markets by seizing
the opportunities of “new products”.
- Engage in the CAP reform by promoting a diversified and human sized agriculture,
more protective of numerous climatic and market crisis, and which will restore
perspectives and pride for the European farmers.
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