The lifting of tobacco purchase restrictions in France has raised concerns among tobacco merchants in EU countries

According to Connexionwrance on April 9th, EU countries such as France have lifted restrictions on purchasing cigarettes in other EU countries. The previous rule only allowed each person to purchase one box of cigarettes (200 units), which ended on March 29th. The authorities say this move will make it easier for customs to crack down on tobacco smuggling.
French tobacco merchants, especially those located on the border between Italy and Spain, are now concerned about excessive competition from other EU countries. In Spain, the tax rate on cigarettes is significantly lower than in France, and the price of two boxes of cigarettes (400 or 20 packs) is only 107 euros, which is only half of the price of similar products in France.
These tobacco merchants and newsstand merchants opposed the French government's reform during a march held in February. One merchant said, "We have lost half of our customers." Therefore, some tobacco merchants called for the EU to unify tobacco prices.
This move has also sparked opposition from anti tobacco activists. Bertrand Dautzenberg, President of the Paris Smokeless Association, said that lifting restrictions on cigarette purchases would harm public health. He added that lifting restrictions is actually "telling consumers to buy cigarettes from countries where cigarettes are cheaper.".
At present, it will be up to customs officials to determine whether the quantity of cigarettes brought into France is for "personal use" or prohibited items. The chairman believes that the definition of "personal use" is now too loose because there are no official restrictions.
Previously, EU directives had stipulated that EU member states could not set the limit on cigarettes per person below 800, but the French government's decree did not specify the quantity.