Denmark wants to rise excise work rates without asking. A decision that the smokers won't like

The Danish, just before the end of their half-year EU Presidency, proposed extremist changes to the European Commission's proposal for minimum rates of excise work on tobacco and nicotine products. This is simply a draft revision of the alleged Tobacco Excise Directive presented in June. Denmark proposes a extremist increase in the rate for 1 category of products – heating tobacco.


Denmark's proposal went to the associate States on Friday 28 November. As the influential Brussels eureporter portal reveals, the Danes proposed to rise the rate on heating tobacco to EUR 360 per kg. Earlier, the European Commission wanted to place a minimum rate of 155 eur per kg or 108 eur per 1000 units on the heat heaters.

Excise excise work in the European Union

The Commission has allowed associate States to choose the method of taxation, either per kilogram or per piece, depending on the solutions previously adopted. Denmark's proposal must be accepted by all associate States, because, in accordance with the EU treaties, taxation regulations must be adopted unanimously.

The way in which proposals are presented – without agreement with another countries of the Union, without presenting possible economical and social impacts – is already outraged by EU diplomats.

Euroreporter cites an anonymous typical of 1 of the EU countries, who highlights the long-term harm to solutions that are not based on a general compromise.

What will that change for the budget?

"The imposition of advanced taxes on tobacco, alcohol, sugar and fossil fuels will most likely get people to usage the black marketplace and will support populist movements. There is already a serious hazard that poorer regions will lose to this under the next long-term EU budget. The uneven burden-sharing in migration and asylum policy in the EU is besides a fact. We besides have delays and cuts in grants that disproportionately affect average people, while richer regions or sectors are little vulnerable," warns the diplomat in speaking to a eureporter.

The European Commission's earlier proposal included an increase in the minimum excise work on cigarettes by 139 percent (from 90 to 215 euro per 1000 units), on smoking tobacco by 258 percent (from 60 to 215 euro per kg) and the introduction of minimum rates for nicotine sachets and e-cigarettes. The Danish proposal would make heating tobacco subject to higher excise work than smoking tobacco used, inter alia, to self-screw cigarettes.

On Thursday, EU diplomats will discuss the further destiny of Denmark's proposal to impose a super-tax on heated tobacco.