Key points:
- Belgium bans the public display of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, starting on April 1st. Food stores over 400 square meters are also prohibited from selling them.
- Tobacco products must be stored out of sight, and consumers must purchase them through a list. Violating retailers face high fines and imprisonment.
- The Tobacco Association warns that the new measures could stimulate illegal trade, increase costs, lead to businesses exiting, and exacerbate illegal purchasing trends.
According to Brusselstimes, Belgium will prohibit the public display of tobacco products at sales points starting from April 1. This legal amendment applies to cigarettes, cigars, rolling papers, shisha tobacco, and e-cigarettes. In addition, food stores with an area exceeding 400 square meters will also be prohibited from selling these products.
All tobacco-related products must be covered both inside and outside of sales points, including bookstores, supermarkets, gas stations, nightclubs, and airport duty-free shops. Retailers are required to store products in drawers, sealed containers, or behind curtains, sliding doors, or opaque glass. The storage area must remain neutral and cannot have lights, pictures, or brand names. It is for employee use only, and must be immediately closed after use.
Consumers can purchase tobacco products through a simple list that includes the brand, type of product, quantity, and price, available in both paper or digital versions. Retailers who violate the regulations may face imprisonment for a period ranging from one month to one year, as well as fines ranging from 2000 euros to 800,000 euros.
The federation of Belgian-Luxembourg cigarette manufacturers, Cimabel, pointed out that the new measures could stimulate the illegal cigarette trade. Cimabel believes that hidden products will increase retail costs, causing some businesses to withdraw from the tobacco sales market, further exacerbating the phenomenon of consumers purchasing cheap cigarettes from illegal channels.
According to data from Cimabel, over one-third of cigarettes in Belgium are purchased abroad, resulting in an annual tax revenue loss of 22 billion euros. Cimabel criticized the government for taking such counterproductive measures in pursuit of additional income.
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