Justyna SMOK-CHAJN

Justyna SMOK-CHAJN is a lobbyist associated with British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the world’s largest multinational tobacco companies headquartered in the United Kingdom. Working within BAT’s strategic lobbying efforts, she represents the interests of a corporation deeply engaged in influencing public policy concerning tobacco regulation, trade, and health legislation across Europe. SMOK-CHAJN operates in a highly scrutinized and controversial sector, where BAT’s lobbying activities have historically focused on shaping tobacco-related laws and regulatory frameworks to protect and expand its market presence. BAT’s strategies frequently involve engagement with policymakers, regulators, and various industry groups, positioning itself as a responsible corporate stakeholder while opposing strict tobacco control measures. As a BAT lobbyist, SMOK-CHAJN participates in this complex environment balancing corporate goals with increasingly restrictive public health policies.

Justyna SMOK-CHAJN’s lobbying role for British American Tobacco in the UK and Europe involves advancing BAT’s commercial interests and regulatory objectives in a challenging global context. BAT’s main lobbying focus centers on preventing or diluting stringent tobacco control laws such as plain packaging, flavor bans (including menthol cigarettes), advertising restrictions, and excise tax harmonization that would reduce tobacco consumption. SMOK-CHAJN’s work likely includes promoting BAT’s vision of a regulated, “science and evidence-based” approach to tobacco product oversight, which stresses harm reduction as a pathway for tobacco regulation while arguing against what BAT views as overly punitive policies.

BAT uses multiple tactics that SMOK-CHAJN may be instrumental in deploying:

  • Engaging directly with policymakers and regulators in the UK and the EU to influence legislative and health policy outcomes, particularly attempting to safeguard BAT’s business rights and market share.

  • Coordinating with third-party bodies and industry coalitions to present joint positions delaying or weakening tobacco control laws, including funding front groups and think tanks to amplify BAT’s policy messages under the guise of independent expertise.

  • Promoting corporate social responsibility initiatives and public relations campaigns to improve BAT’s public image and legitimacy as a stakeholder in policy dialogues.

  • Navigating complex international trade and regulatory frameworks that impact tobacco products, ensuring BAT’s continued market access and favorable regulatory treatment.

Given the controversial nature of tobacco lobbying, SMOK-CHAJN’s role likely requires careful management of BAT’s reputation while applying pressure strategically to protect BAT’s financial interests in the UK market and broader European arenas.

Justyna SMOK-CHAJN’s lobbying activities on behalf of British American Tobacco involve extensive interaction with European Union institutions and UK government bodies. Data from EU transparency registers indicate that SMOK-CHAJN holds European Parliament accreditation for lobbying, active at least through 2024. BAT has invested heavily in lobbying EU officials, at times paying significantly more than publicly declared to various Brussels-based lobby groups and industry associations to promote tobacco-friendly policies.

SMOK-CHAJN’s activities likely include:

  • Participating in meetings with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), European Commission officials, and UK policymakers actively shaping tobacco control rules. These interactions often focus on influencing legislation relating to tobacco excise harmonization, advertising restrictions, product regulation, and public health directives.

  • Facilitating BAT’s engagement in “stakeholder dialogues” that provide selective access to influential policymakers and regulators under the pretext of corporate social responsibility, thereby shaping conversations to BAT’s advantage.

  • Collaborating with other BAT lobbyists and external PR firms to set coordinated lobbying campaigns, including opposition to menthol and flavor bans, which are critical to BAT’s profitability, especially within the US and EU markets.

  • Supporting BAT’s strategic initiatives like the “Omni” resource, which showcases BAT’s purported “science-led” approach to tobacco harm reduction at major forums such as the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum, while simultaneously lobbying against restrictions on smoke-free tobacco alternatives in emerging markets.

  • Engaging with UK diplomats and other international stakeholders to promote BAT’s interests even in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring London’s role as BAT’s home base.

While specific meeting records for SMOK-CHAJN with particular politicians are not publicly detailed, BAT’s overall lobbying footprint—of which she is a recognized lobbyist—shows a pattern of intense interaction designed to influence EU tobacco directives and UK legislation. The outcomes include delays or watering down of certain tobacco control policies, and BAT’s ability to maintain product sales despite public health pressures.

Full direct contact details for Justyna SMOK-CHAJN are not publicly disclosed in standard EU Transparency or corporate directories. However, relevant contact avenues for reaching her in her capacity as BAT lobbyist include:

  • British American Tobacco Corporate Headquarters:
    Globe House, 4 Temple Place, London WC2R 2PG, United Kingdom
    General Phone: +44 20 7845 1000
    Website: www.bat.com

  • EU Transparency Register: Justyna SMOK-CHAJN holds a registered lobbyist profile linked with British American Tobacco, with accreditation to engage with EU institutions (valid at least through October 2024).

  • Social media or direct phone details for SMOK-CHAJN as an individual lobbyist are not publicly available.