French MPs want quotas and independent traceability of cigarettes from the industry

On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, several MPs, at the initiative of former Health Minister Frédéric Valletoux, from the Horizons group, called for intensifying the fight against off-network purchases by tobacconists.[1]In particular, they are defending a text from the Protocol to Combat Illicit Trade ratified by France, aimed at establishing delivery quotas in each country, aligned with actual consumption, and ensuring that the system for monitoring and tracing tobacco products is strictly independent of the industry.

A call for supply quotas and better traceability of tobacco products

In a column published by Les Échos, Frédéric Valletoux stressed that " parallel trade represents between 14 % and 17 % of consumption "in France, despite an overall drop of 32 % in smoking since the 2000s, " undermining the effectiveness of prevention policies, it generates a loss of revenue of 3 to 5 billion for Social Security, in addition to causing nuisance and insecurity around points of sale and during customs passages.He also points out that the total social costs resulting from tobacco consumption are estimated at 156 billion euros per year for French society and cost the public finances, with tax revenues being significantly lower than the health insurance costs of chronic care linked to smoking.

Overall, off-network purchases correspond to purchases of packs leaving the manufacturers' factories but purchased in another country. According to the survey conducted by the OFDT and Santé publique France over the period 2014-2022, off-network purchases remained stable: the proportion of smokers who bought their last pack in a neighboring country over the period amounted to 42 %, compared to only 7 % on average in other departments.[2]. As for the share of purchases made on the street, it did not exceed 1% over the entire period 2014-2022. Figures from the OFDT and Public Health France allow us to estimate that the parallel market would represent between 10 and 20 % of total consumption. These estimates are significantly lower than the figures put forward by certain studies or tobacco manufacturers, which speak of 30 to 40 %.

To combat the essential problem of cross-border purchases fueled by oversupply of these markets by tobacco manufacturers, the MP advocates the establishment of tobacco supply quotas in each European country without the possibility of significantly exceeding them. The MP points out that " a cigarette smoked in France must have been purchased in France ".

" Only 12 % of tobacco sales in Luxembourg correspond to actual local consumption ", gives Frédéric Valletoux as an example[3].

A European resolution proposal to this effect was adopted in the spring by the Committee on European Affairs and should be discussed " before Christmas " in the Assembly, hoped Frédéric Valletoux during a hearing of anti-tobacco associations and cigarette manufacturers on September 24, 2025.

This measure of implementing delivery quotas aligned with actual consumption in each country must be based on the product traceability monitoring system. However, the current system remains in the hands of the cigarette manufacturers; it is opaque, and data that could, in particular, prove the involvement of manufacturers in the oversupply of border markets and parallel trade are not made public.

Such an approach would strengthen the effectiveness of tax policies, the regular increases of which are essential to continue the reduction in tobacco consumption and in particular to prevent young people from starting to smoke.

According to health professionals, tax increases are essential for public health reasons, but they also increase tax revenue. They are also socially progressive because people from less privileged social categories are more sensitive to price changes. Speaking at a hearing before the Social Affairs Committee, Professor Martinet reiterated that the most vulnerable people are just as keen to quit smoking as anyone else, and that it is important, while increasing tax revenue, to enable them to access treatments covered by health insurance.

Debates on quotas and taxation disrupted by industry misinformation

During their hearing, tobacco manufacturers pointed the finger at French tax policy, accusing the price of a packet of cigarettes in France (€13), which they believe is too high, forcing smokers to buy elsewhere and to consume counterfeit tobacco, fueling an illicit trade.

Frédéric Valletoux recalled that the figures cited by the manufacturers come from a report " to the questionable methodology ", criticized by anti-smoking associations and certain deputies because it is established each year by KPMG at the request of the tobacco industry. The latter is accustomed to opaque reports and commissioned from organizations to which it is directly or indirectly linked, aimed at improving its image and legitimizing its activities.

If counterfeiting exists, it is marginal, the majority of illicit volumes coming from legally manufactured cigarettes then diverted via over-supplies in low-tax states, then reinjected into France by fragmented networks.[4].

Frédéric Valletoux finally reiterated that a strong commitment from France within the European Union would enable decisive progress in health policy regarding tobacco. While continuing efforts to support smokers, the implementation of the WHO protocol, which came into force in 2018 and has been ratified by France, must be taken into account in the revision of the European directive on tobacco products. The strictly independent nature of the tracking and tracing system, coupled with greater transparency and procurement linked to market realities, are essential for public health and to cover the current tax shortfall for France.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Lilly San Juan, AFP,  "A cigarette smoked in France must have been purchased in France": towards delivery quotas to combat parallel trade?, RTL, published September 24, 2025, consulted September 25, 2025

[2]Public Health France, Tobacco supply to smokers in France, 2014-2022, published May 31, 2024, accessed September 26, 2025

[3]RTL Info, France launches offensive against countries that sell too much tobacco, published on September 25, 2025, consulted the same day

[4]The World of Tobacco, Parallel tobacco market: “Cigarette manufacturers are directly responsible” (Frédéric Valletoux), published on September 25, 2025, consulted the same day

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