EU Tobacco Tax Bill Weakened in Push to Compromise With Holdouts

EU envoys will examine a watered down tobacco tax bill on Wednesday as several countries continue to hold out against provisions of the bill meant to raise minimum rates on cigarettes across the bloc.

The bill lowers the rates on cigars and cigarillos to €80 EUR ($94) per 1000 items, down from €95, which was already lowered from €140 in the European Commission’s bill, according to the latest version of the bill dated May 8 and seen by Bloomberg.

The bill also gives EU countries flexibility to bring it even lower by allowing them to impose their own minimum ...