France has decided to remove the limit of 200 cigarettes that a traveler could bring back from another country within the European Union, this Friday March 29.
The decree came into force this Friday, March 29: the limit of 200 cigarettes that a person was authorized to bring back from another country of the European Union was removed. Until now, travelers were also limited to 50 cigars, 250 grams of smoking tobacco and 100 cigarillos. The objective is to comply with European law. European regulations set personal consumption at 800 cigarettes, or four cartridges, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars and one kilo of smoking tobacco. However, this new French decree does not set a threshold.
Resale remains prohibited
Other criteria are now taken into account by customs officers: “if customs found that a person was transporting a single cartridge, but with the name of the recipient and the delivery address to whom it must be made, it would fall under the blow of the decree”, explains Thomas Cazenave, Minister Delegate in charge of public accounts. According to him, it is no longer a logic of “quantity” but a logic of “finality”. “Whatever the threshold, if it is for resale, it is not good,” justified the ministerial services.
Customs officers must therefore assess whether these purchases are for their own needs or not. Several elements must be taken into account: “the destination of the holder when it differs from his usual place of residence”, “the economic activity of the holder”, or even the place where the products were placed in the vehicle, depending on Bercy. “Customs officers now have the possibility of relying on a range of clues, to seize and sanction those for whom there is a presumption of trade and therefore of illegal trade,” detailed Thomas Cazenave.
This change comes after a consumer contacted the Council of State. The body then asked the government to bring French law into line with European Union law.