EU and Philip Morris Conclude Anti-Smuggling, Anti-Counterfeit Agreements

On June 6, 2006, the European Commission announced that since July 2004 fourteen European Union (EU) members have joined the Community and the initial ten EU members in their efforts to combat cigarette smuggling and have concluded an Anti-Contraband and Anti-Counterfeit Agreement with Philip Morris International, Inc. (PMI). This brings the total number to twenty-four. On July 9, 2004, the European Community and ten EU Members (Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) concluded a landmark 12-year cooperation agreement with PMI (the “Agreement”) to combat the illegal trade in cigarettes. Since then, fourteen additional EU Members have joined the Agreement (Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden).