On 5th of April 2022, at the Headquarters of SELEC in Bucharest, was signed the updated version of the Letter of Intent with Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in the presence of the SELEC Management and JTI’s delegation headed by Mr. Ian Monteith, Anti-Illicit Trade Global Director.
Considering that combating all forms of the illicit trade in tobacco products calls for an active cooperation between governments, international organizations, and the tobacco industry, the Parties agreed to further develop the existing legal framework, recognizing the opportunity of a working partnership in order to bring out a more effective protection to the legitimate trade in tobacco products in order to foster a stable and transparent tobacco market in SELEC Member States.
JTI stated that is committed to the fight against illicit trade in tobacco products, working hand-in-hand with governments and law enforcement organizations. SELEC has a dedicated Task Force on Anti-Fraud and Anti-Smuggling, established since 2003, every year SELEC produces an analytical report regarding the situation of the smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco products in Southeast Europe.