Since Friday March 29, it is possible to bring back as many cartons of cigarettes as desired, from the European Union, compared to only one per person before. France is aligning itself with European law, to the great joy of smokers in the North, who obtain their supplies in Belgium.
This is a new rule that will please smokers: the limit of one carton of cigarettes per person is lifted by the French government, which is complying with European law. It is now possible to bring back as many cartridges as desired from European Union countries. French Customs will be responsible for ensuring that some people do not take advantage of this to traffic.
“I live in Belgium, my brother in France but we always buy our cigarettes in Belgium. We don’t even look at the price in France anymore!”, “We’re part of the European Union, aren’t we? So it’s normal that the same traffic rules apply to all products”, “There are no small savings, so we come here. And we earn 50 euros per month.” The opinion is unanimous among northern smokers who come to Belgium to obtain their supplies: this lifting of restrictions is very good news.
The story is the same at the Real Tabacco store in Bizet, Belgium: “The days to come will tell us but I think it’s very good news,” says Laura Weber, the store manager. “There will always be a good difference of 20 euros per cartridge between France and Belgium, it is profitable, even with the price of gasoline. I think that customers will aim wider and will take cartridges for their friends and their family.”
In France, in the North, on the other hand, tobacco is suffering the blow: “It’s incomprehensible, when we already have prices that go from simple to double, but at least we had a small buffer of a cartridge” , regrets the manager of the Jeanne D’Arc tobacconist, in Lille. “We already have all the tobacco shops in Roubaix and Tourcoing which are closed, this will extend to Lille too. I think that some people will not hesitate to take their car and fill up altogether because there will be no no more limits.”
This article is originally published on .francebleu.fr
