The Polish vape industry has written to the prime minister, demanding a halt to excessive law enforcement, the initiation of dialogue with the industry, and ensuring that the principle of proportionality and fair treatment are adhered to in regulation, warning that current measures may undermine market stability and encourage the expansion of the gray market.
Key points:
- Representatives of the Polish vape industry have appealed to Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Demanding an end to administrative pressure on legal business entities.
- The industry emphasizes support for cracking down on illegal transactions, but criticizes that the current inspections mainly target compliant enterprises, which has damaged market confidence.
- The industry has made three specific demands: suspending excessive inspections, initiating dialogues, and ensuring the principle of proportionality in law enforcement and fair treatment.
- It is the government to formulate policies based on facts and advice to avoid suppressing the industry for political considerations.
Polish vape industry reps write to PM stop excessive inspections
According to a report by Fakt on April 29th, affected by the recent strengthened law enforcement inspections by tax and customs departments across Poland, representatives of the vape industry made a formal appeal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Industry representatives called for an end to administrative pressure on legitimate business entities and proposed initiating a constructive dialogue with the vape industry. They emphasized that the principle of proportionality and the principle of treating enterprises equally should be followed, which is in line with the provisions of the Polish Constitution and EU laws.
The industry stated that it does not oppose the inspection of business legality and understands the necessity of cracking down on illegal transactions. However, they pointed out that “the current inspections mainly affect enterprises that comply with regulations”, thereby leading to “a decline in public trust in state institutions and triggering market turmoil”.
Industry representatives also pointed out that although public debate intensified during the election period, “this cannot be a reason for a strictly regulated industry to be suppressed and stigmatized.” They criticized the government for ignoring the existing scientific data and the true situation regarding the health and economic impacts of vapes in its actions.
The letter reaffirmed that the vape industry operates under a clear regulatory framework, pays taxes under the law and creates job opportunities. Industry representatives have warned that if the industry continues to be suppressed through “large-scale inspections, administrative fines and intimidation of legitimate operators”, it may push the market into a gray area, at which point product quality and consumer protection will not be effectively regulated.
In the letter to the prime minister, the industry representatives put forward three main demands:
- Suspend the current excessive law enforcement actions until the legal basis for strengthening inspections is put forward.
- Initiate dialogues with industry representatives, follow the procedures for formulating good laws, assess regulatory impacts, and fulfill the notification obligations to the European Union.
- Ensure that in the law enforcement process, the principle of proportionality is followed and all business entities are treated equally, in compliance with the requirements of the Polish Constitution and EU laws.
Industry representatives emphasized at the end of the letter that they called on the government to “abandon measures motivated by political calculation” and advocated that relevant policies should be based on facts, extensive consultation and respect for the principle of economic freedom.
