What’s the Status of Tobacco Track & Trace Under FCTC Protocol?

Smoke Free Partnership, a coalition of NGOs working on EU policy analysis and advocacy linked to the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has published a report by Luk Joossens, Senior Advisor, on the status of track and trace in countries that are party to the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

The Protocol requires the establishment of a global tracking and tracing regime by September 2023. Although information on the characteristics of existing national systems among many of the 67 parties to the Protocol remains limited, the report estimates that there are 37 systems currently in place, of which 20 are based on EU regulations, 10 on tax stamp regimes, and seven on other characteristics.

Parties in the low and middle-income category (of which there are 24) struggle with the implementation of Protocol obligations and the establishment of track and trace provisions, says the report. This is not good news, considering that a global track and trace regime, comprising national track and trace systems, may only be effective if enough parties have a robust, compliant national system in place.

This means there is still a need to implement measures such as increased technical assistance and financial resources to set up track and trace systems in low and middle-income countries, advises the report.

Luk Joossens will be attending the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™, in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he will present the findings of the report, on 3 October.

www.smokefreepartnership.eu/news/the-status-of-the-tracking-and-tracing-system-required-under-the-who-fctc-protocol-to-eliminate-illicit-trade-in-tobacco-products.