FRANCE. A proposal to end all duty free tobacco sales in France’s airports has been rejected following a parliamentary vote at the country’s National Assembly yesterday (27 October).
The French government has taken a definitive decision not to approve the controversial proposed amendment to Article 568 of the Tax Code, which French trade body Association Française du Commerce du Voyageur (AFCOV) and the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) had argued would have been catastrophic for airports and ferry routes in the country if passed.
A spokesperson for the ETRC said that French industry had lobbied to raise awareness of the issue and the potential damage a ban would have. Duty free tobacco sales only account for a minor percentage of total sales in the country and so a ban would have “no real impact” on improving public health, he said, and only airports, ferry routes and retailers would have suffered.
Image: Assembleé Nationale
The spokesperson welcomed the decision, saying “common sense” had prevailed.
Speaking in the Assemblée Nationale in support of the French airports, Denis Jacquat, a Member of Parliament from the Parti républicain (Republican party), said: “French airports are in the main managed by local Chambers of Commerce. Maintaining and developing airport facilities is very expensive, and financed by duty free retailing activities.
“Before modifying legislation on duty free we must consider this fact very carefully, because Chambers of Commerce will be forced to find new revenue. This would put them in a very complicated situation.”
