In a move toward liberalization of e-cigarette sales, Italy's Finance Committee has proposed changes in the tax laws that govern their sale. Contrary to expectations, the changes in laws do not impose stringent restrictions on online sales of e-cigarettes; an amendment allows Italian consumers to purchase vaping products from other countries within the European Union.
However, consumers are bound by certain stipulations:
- The products must be delivered to a tobacco or e-cigarette store.
- The pick-up point must be specified at the time of purchase.
- The consumer must personally pick up the product to verify their age.
Under the new amendment, e-cigarettes can only be delivered to a tobacco shop or e-cigarette store. Besides these, products ordered from other EU countries – either produced there or legally imported by an EU company – can also be collected from pharmacies and health stores authorized by customs and monopoly agencies.
Purchasers are required to specify the pick-up point during the order and must personally retrieve their orders. This system is similar to Amazon's counter pick-up service, except that the customer's identity will be verified upon delivery to ensure they are of legal age to buy such products. It's currently unclear if establishments providing this delivery service will receive a service fee.
The bill will take several months to come into effect and may require directives from the Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency.
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