G/TBT/N/LTU/38  
1 July 2020  
(20-4569) Page: 1/3 
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 addres s (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 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Tobacco, 
tobacco products and related equipment (ICS 65.160)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Law on 
contro l of tobacco, tobacco products and related products of the Republic of Lithuania on 
amendment of Articles 2, 17, 26 and addition of Article 15(1), No. XIIIP -3603(3) (2 
page(s), in Lituanian)  
6. Description of content:  Special requirements for retail outle ts  
1. The display (demonstration) of tobacco products, products related to tobacco products* 
(hereinafter – tobacco related products) and equipment intended for the use of such 
products shall be prohibited in retail outlets.  
*A product related to tobacco products meansan electronic cigarette, a refill container for 
electronic cigarettes or a herbal product for smoking.  
2. The prohibition set out in paragraph 1 shall not apply to tobacco products, tobacco -
related products and equipment intended for the use of such products sold in tobacco 
shops*, tobacco compartments ** (provided that these products and / or equipment are 
not displayed (demonstrated) in the external showcases of tobacco shops or tobacco 
compartments and (or) through other external fa cilities of the tobacco shops or tobacco 
compartments), at an international seaport or airport or at points of sale established at 
the border crossing point of the Republic of Lithuania with third countries, where goods 
are sold only to passengers departin g from the Republic of Lithuania, as well as on ships, 
aircraft, trains carrying passengers on international routes.  
* Tobacco shop - a shop whose product range consists only of tobacco products, tobacco 
related products and and equipment intended for the  use of such products,  as well as 
goods and parts for the preparation for smoking and accessories related to smoking.  G/TBT/N/LTU/38  
 
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  ** Tobacco Compartment - a store division whose product range consists only of tobacco 
products, tobacco -related products and equipment i ntended for the use of such products, 
as well as goods and parts for the preparation for smoking and accessories related to 
smoking.  
3. Only the following information may be submitted at retail outlets in accordance with 
the order established by the instit ution authorized by the Government of the Republic of 
Lithuania:  
1) the names of the manufacturers and the tobacco products, tobacco related products, 
equipment intended for the use of such products;  
2) the words "We trade" or "We sell";  
3) the prices of u nit packets or outer packaging covering several unit packets of tobacco 
products, tobacco related products, equipment intended for the use of such products.  
4. In tobacco shops and tobacco compartments in addition to the permitted information 
referred in p aragraph 3 of this Article, tobacco products, tobacco related products and 
equipment intended for the use of such products shall be permitted to be displayed 
(demonstrated) (provided that these products and / or equipment are not displayed 
(demonstrated) i n the external showcases of tobacco shops or tobacco compartments and 
(or) through other external facilities of the tobacco shops or tobacco compartments).  
5. Information (warnings) on the harmful effects of the use of tobacco products on health 
and on the  ban of the sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age must 
also be provided at retail outlets in accordance with the order established by the 
institution authorized by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (this item of the 
Law is not  changed, it is mentioned here due to the reference to this item below).  
6. The information referred in paragraph 3 shall be permitted only at places where tobacco 
products, tobacco   related products and equipment intended for the use of such products 
are sold. It may not be displayed in leaflets or other promotional material intended for 
take-away by consumers, and imitations and images of tobacco products, tobacco related 
products or their unit packets, or devices intended for the use of such products sha ll not 
be displayed at retail outlets. No other visual or graphic information concerning tobacco 
products, tobacco related products and equipment intended for the use of such products 
other than that provided for in paragraphs 3 and 5 may not be provided a t the point of 
retail sale.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The purpose of the draft law is to introduce ban of display of tobacco 
products, tobacco related products and equipment intended for the use of such products 
in retail point of sales (hereinafter – tobacco display ban) and to implement the 
recommendations  of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco 
Control (hereinafter – the WHO  FCTC) Secretariat's experts mission to Lithuania – "It is 
recommended that Lithuania, following the experience of many European states 
introduces a ban of disp lay of tobacco products at points -of-sales. This will increase the 
effectiveness of communication campaigns, of packaging and labelling regulations, as it 
eliminates one of the last forms of tobacco advertising and promotion". The introduction 
of this toba cco control measure promoted by the WHO FCTC is based on scientific evidence 
and is supported by the WHO [1] – "Banning point -of-sale tobacco displays is likely to 
reduce impulse purchases, provide a supportive environment for smokers to quit and limit 
purchasing behavior through the denormalization of tobacco. Data from the Global Youth 
Tobacco Survey of 130 countries found that banning point -of-sale tobacco displays was 
significantly associated with a reduction in experimental smoking in young people of b oth 
genders. Another study found that countries with point -of-sale bans in place had seen a 
reduction in current, daily and regular smoking rates among young people in the previous 
month". The Guidelines of the implementation of the Article 13 of the FCTC state: "Retail 
sale and display 12. Display of tobacco products at points of sale in itself constitutes 
advertising and promotion. Display of products is a key means of promoting tobacco 
products and tobacco use, including by stimulating impulse purchases of tobacco 
products, giving the impression that tobacco use is socially acceptable and making it 
harder for tobacco users to quit. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the 
promotional effects of product display. 13. To ensure that points of sale of tobacco G/TBT/N/LTU/38  
 
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  products do not have any promotional elements, Parties should introduce a total ban on 
any display and on the visibility of tobacco products at points of sale, including fixed retail 
outlets and street vendors. Only the textual listing of products and their prices, without 
any promotional elements, would be allowed". The introduced regulation aims to protect 
important public interests - personal and public health, which is especially relevant in the 
context of unfavourable prevalence of smoking habi ts among the Lithuanian population 
(especially among young people) and unfavourable smoking -related morbidity and 
mortality as well significant smoking -attributable social and economic harm to Lithuanian 
economy [2]. Similar regulations have been successfu lly introduced in some European 
Union countries, such as Ireland, Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia and Latvia. It should 
be noted that, according to a Eurobarometer survey [3], as many as 61% Lithuanian 
respondents were in favour of keeping tobacco prod ucts out of sight in shops or points of 
sale.  
[1] https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/339233/who -evidence -brief-
pos-ban-eng.pdf?ua=1   
[2] https://www.lsmuni.lt/media/dynamic/files/18418/disertacijaliutkut e-gumarov.pdf  
[3] https://ntakd.lrv.lt/uploads/ntakd/documents/files/ebs_458_en.pdf  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Draft Law: https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAP/86ce19b0b15211ea9a12d0dada3ca61b?jfwid
=-98b2vzkah  
• Draft Law (comparative version): https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/leg alAct/lt/TAK/b55a4c90b15211ea9a12d0dada3ca61b?posit
ionInSearchResults=2&searchModelUUID=d253935a -b0d0-4763-bbbb-
a8c0adcaad72  
• 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 May 2022 ; Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania will 
make decision on date of entry into force after notification of the Draft Law to the 
European Commission and the WTO  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 May 2022 ; Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania 
will make decision on date of entry into force after notification of the Draft Law to the 
European Commission and the WTO  
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: