EU tobacco directive threatens Italian tobacco supply chain, says Coldiretti leader

Gennarino Masiello, vice‑president of Coldiretti and president of Ont Italia and Unitab Europe, warned that the European Union’s new tobacco‑product directive could undermine the entire Italian tobacco supply chain. Speaking at the first stop of a roadshow in Perugia, he said the rules could force thousands of companies to shut and cost many jobs, echoing the impact of ending tobacco subsidies two decades ago.

Masiello, speaking at an event co‑hosted by Philip Morris Italia and Coldiretti to mark fifteen years of a supply‑chain agreement with the agriculture ministry, warned that unfair competition from countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi – where health, labour and agricultural standards differ – could damage both the sector and public health. He stressed that the directive should not be driven by ideology at the expense of the industry and citizens’ wellbeing.