Programme

09.00   Registration and coffee

09.45   Welcome and introduction, Mr Georges Dassis, EESC President

10.00   A message from Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger

10.15   The Perspective of the European Parliament

• Mr Gilles Pargneaux, MEP, Vice-Chair, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety; Member, Budgetary Control Committee  

10.25   The Perspective of the Bulgarian Presidency   

• Ms Demetra Novakova, Chair, Customs Cooperation Working Party     

10.35   Panel 1: The challenges from illicit tobacco trade, in particular cheap whites

Chair: Mr Martin Siecker, EESC Member, President of the Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption

• The illicit tobacco trade – what do we know?
  Mr N. J. Ilett, Acting Director-General, OLAF
• How does the illicit tobacco trade impact business?
  Mr Mihai Ivascu, EESC Member, President's Counselor, Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• The challenges at the Eastern border
  Mr Ants Kutti, Deputy Head of Customs Department, Estonia
• What tools do we have to fight illicit trade at EU and International level? A civil society perspective
  Ms Florence Berteletti, Director, Smoke Free Partnership
• The link between illicit tobacco trade and organised crime
  Professor Arndt Sinn, University of Osnabrück

11.45   Discussion

12.30   Buffet lunch & coffee

14.00   Panel 2: How to meet the challenges from illicit tobacco trade?

Chair: Ms Margarete Hofmann, OLAF Policy Director

• What can the FCTC Protocol contribute to fighting illicit trade in tobacco products?
  Mr Nicolas Guerrero, Senior Legal Officer, WHO FCTC Secretariat, Geneva
• Stepping-up enforcement and cooperation at European and international level
  Mr David Petit, French Customs
• The illicit tobacco trade viewed from the health community
  Mr Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General for Consumers and Health, DG Health and Food Safety
• The consumer perspective: how to raise awareness?
  Mr Bogomil Nikolov, EESC Member, Executive Director, Bulgarian Active Consumers Association

15.15   Discussion

16.15   Concluding remarks and Outlook

• Mr Martin Siecker, EESC Member, President of the Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption
• Ms Margarete Hofmann, OLAF Policy Director
• Mr Georg Roebling, Head of Unit, OLAF Customs and Tobacco Anti-Fraud Policy; AFIS

16.30   Networking reception

17.30   End of conference