MEPs vote to end tobacco agreement

A deal that puts the big tobacco companies in charge of preventing cigarette smuggling was like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, the European Parliament and the World Health Organisation have warned.

The agreement, first made in 2004 when the EU showed that the three major companies were colluding with the black market in tobacco smuggling that costs EU governments at least €10bn a year in lost taxes, is due to be renewed or ended by July.

But furious members of the European Parliament voted to end the agreement first drawn up by the European Commission in a deal to settle a court action against the companies long believed to be part of the smuggling racket.