Ceci est une version HTML d'une pièce jointe de la demande d'accès à l'information 'Contacts with the tobacco industry during 2018'.



Ref. Ares(2018)5313468 - 16/10/2018
Ref. Ares(2019)238301 - 16/01/2019
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mardi 16 octobre 2018 16:56 
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Subject: 
UNITAB 2018 - tobacco growers - Brussels 
 
Please find below a short report of the 36th congress of UNITAB (European association of tobacco 
growers, including national growers associations of BE, BG, FR, DE, EL, HU, IT, PL, PT, ES and Switzerland) 
Brussels 15 and 16 October 
Participants: +/- 300 persons, mainly tobacco growers,  
This congress was a good opportunity to collect some information on the sector: 
Some statistical data for 2017 in Europe: 

36 814 farms (vs 57 000 in 2015) 

75 000 ha (vs 81 000 in 2015); EL 19157 ha; IT 16091 ha, PL 11093 ha, ES ~10500 
ha and BG ~10500 ha 

175 779 tons (65 % of Virginia (flue cured)) 
In general the production continue to decrease but it is stabilising in some 
countries/regions that have developed new products for niche markets (e.g.: Chicha), 
quality products (e.g.: grown under IPM, less pesticide residues, traceability)  
World production of cigarette in 2017: 5 894 billions (declining since 2012) 
Tobacco sector faces several challenges; in particular: 

Raw tobacco taxation: some countries have put excises on a certain type of raw 
tobacco and excise on raw tobacco is contemplated as a way to limit black 
market; 

COP8 (conference of the Parties – Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 
FCTC): tobacco growing is seen as having devastating effects on environment 
(rem: this might be true in large scale productions in Asia or Africa, but not in 
EU) 
ELTI ( European Leaf Tobacco Interbranch Organization) is the first and only 
transnational interbranch organisation recognised at EU level. Recently created, ELTI 
should help to stabilize the production of leaf tobacco in MS. 
 
A debate was organised on the CAP reform proposal and the new possibilities for the 
sector. Classical complaints were raised:  request for coupled payment, stop to 
discrimination against tobacco. Sector seems interested in specific sectoral programmes. 
 represented the Commission and  had to recall several times that tobacco 
growers were treated like the other farmers and decoupling is part of the CAP evolution. 
There would be no support from any institution (Commission, Council or EP) on any 
reversion of the current status quo.