Portugal Says EU Tobacco Tax Overhaul Proposal ‘Worrying’

The Portuguese government has “strong concerns” about a European Commission push to raise taxes on tobacco and tobacco-related products as well as to take a share of the national revenue collected for its own budget.

In a statement published Friday describing the proposed bill as “worrying”, the government said it has “reservations about applying equal taxation to cigarettes and other forms of smoking that are less harmful to health.”

The proposed bill, published July 16, would more than double the minimum rate on cigarettes to €215 ($248) for every 1,000 cigarettes, from €90 currently. ...