EU to take Austria to court over minimum cigarette prices

The EU Commission is going to take Austria to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the issue of the minimum price for cigarettes that Austrian law imposes.

The Commission has already lodged such a complaint against Ireland.

The ECJ ruled in 1998 in a case against Greece that minimum prices violated EU law since taxes on cigarettes were an adequate means of safeguarding public health.

In another case against France, ECJ said that minimum prices violated EU law by limiting the freedom of action of cigarette producers and importers to set their own prices.

28.01.2008 15:13:12