G/TBT/N/LTU/41  
9 July 2021  
(21-5434) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  LITHUANIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilniaus str. 33, 
LT-01506 Vilnius, Lithuania, tel. +370 5 2661402, e -mail ministerija@sam.lt , 
http://sam.lrv.lt/   
Name and address (including  telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
EC TBT Enquiry Point: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int   
National TBT Enquiry Point: enquiry@lsd.lt   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  TOBACCO 
AND MANUFACTURED TOBACCO SUBSTITUTES (HS 24)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Law on 
control of tobacco, tobacc o products and related products of the Republic of Lithuania on 
amendment of Articles 1, 2, 3, 91,10, 11, 12, 14, 25, 26, title of the Chapter II, title of 
Section one of the Chapter II and title of the Chapter IV, No. XIIIP -5126(2) (11 page(s), 
in Lithuan ian) 
6. Description of content:  The Draft Law aims:  
1. to establish licensing of wholesale of raw tobacco (unprocessed tobacco)*; 
2. to establish requirements for persons wishing to acquire license of wholesale of 
raw tobacco;  
3. to determine conditions of licensed activity, requirements for the wholesale, 
storage and transportation of raw tobacco;  
4. to establish economic sanctions for non -compliance with the requirements for 
activities with raw tobacco.  
The draft law suggests inter alia  the ban of retail sale of raw tobacco, as raw tobacco 
could be processed very easily by inexpensive equipment to make manufactured tobacco 
that can be used f or the illicit manufacture of tobacco products. Thus, the ban of retail 
sale of raw tobacco is intended to prevent the production of illegal tobacco products.  
It should be noted that the definitions specified in Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the Article 2 
of the Draft Law No. XIIIP -5126(2) will be accordingly specified taking into account the 
Law on control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products of the Republic of 
Lithuania on amendment of Articles 2, 9, 9 (2), 9 (3), 9 (10), 9 (11), 14, 14 (1), 16, 1 8, 
25 and 26, No XIV -295, adopted by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania on 13 May G/TBT/N/LTU/41  
 
- 2 - 
 
  2021 [ https://www.e -tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/4cf6f7a0beaf11eba2bad9a0748ee6 4d, see 
the definitions of import, importer and entry, stated in the Article 1 of the Law 
No XIV-295], by which the mentioned definitions were fully harmonized with Directive 
2014/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the 
laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the 
manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products and repealing 
Directive 2001/37/EC (having regard to the detailed opinion and commen ts of the 
European Commission (Message TRIS/(2020) 03590 and TRIS/(2021) 00304 on 
Notification 2020/0404/LT).  
*Raw tobacco (or unprocessed tobacco) means tobacco leaves and other parts of tobacco 
which are uncut or otherwise unprocessed, except those which , pursuant to the Law of 
the Republic of Lithuania on Excise Duty, are treated as manufactured tobacco (according 
to the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Excise Duty manufactured tobacco - cigarettes, 
cigars, cigarillos, smoking tobacco).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The main objective of the Draft Law is to prevent the use of raw tobacco for 
the illegal production of tobacco products and the illegal market of tobacco. The Draft Law 
is an importan t measure for transparent business of tobacco and tobacco products, 
tackling the illicit trade in tobacco, curbing shadow economy, ensuring that only legally 
operating and impeccable repute persons are participating in the tobacco market. The 
Draft Law is prepared by implementing measure No 3.1.7 (annex 3) "to establish a 
licensing mechanism for raw tobacco" of the Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol Prevention Inter -
Institutional Action Plan approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in 
2015/02/25. The  Draft Law is also important for Lithuania in fulfilling international 
obligations, implementing the FCTC Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products, 
which was ratified by Lithuania. The Draft Law will contribute to more effective tobacco 
control as it will lead to fair business conditions for all economic operators on the tobacco 
market, will contribute to more effective management of the criminogenic situation, 
preventing the illegal trade of tobacco and illegal production of tobacco products ; Not 
specified  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Draft Law:  
https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAP/3e4298203b7b11eb8c97e01ffe050e1c?pos iti
onInSearchResults=1&searchModelUUID=fd2e1fbc -aa57-4c86-8ffe-
507406fbbbdb  
• Draft Law (comparative version):  
https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAK/d7f3fe003b7b11eb8c97e01ffe050e1c?positio
nInSearchResults=3&searchModelUUID=fd2e1fbc -aa57-4c86-8ffe-
507406fbbbdb  
• Law on control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products of the Republic 
of Lithuania: https://www.e -tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.F8090E375DA0/asr  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 November 2021  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 November 2021  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
enquiry@lsd.lt