EU to study French bill limiting cigarettes
3 Nov 2005
BRUSSELS, Nov 3 (Reuters) – The European Commission will study whether a French proposal to restrict how many cigarettes people can have in their possession violates European Union rules, a spokesman for the Brussels executive said on Thursday.
The French National Assembly lower house voted through a 2006 social security bill on Tuesday which included measures to cut smoking and customs fraud.
Under the bill, people would not be allowed to carry more than 10 packets of cigarettes on French soil. The French upper house will consider the legislation from November 14.
Oliver Drewes, spokesman for EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said, the French bill would be looked at to see if it contravenes EU rules on free movement of goods in the 25-nation internal market.
“We are always potentially concerned when we have information of this kind coming to our attention… We are going to look into that matter,” Drewes told reporters.
“We have to find out if this restriction or potential restriction is based on health claims, on tax reasons,” he said.
