G/TBT/N/BEL/43  
18 January  2019 
(19-0306) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : BELGIUM  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2  and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
Service public fédéral Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et Environnement  
(Federal Public Service for Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment)  
Direction Générale Animaux, Végétaux et Alimentation  (Directorate -General for Animals, 
Plants and Foodstuffs)  
Service inspection produits de consommation  (Consumer Products Inspection Service)  
Eurostation, place Victor Horta 40/10, 1060 Saint -Gilles, Belgium  
Tel.: 02 524 73 73 and 02/ 524 74 73  
mathieu.capouet@sante.belgique.be  and eugenie.bertrand@sante.belgique.be  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and websi te 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
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) : Royal order 
on standardized packaging for cigarettes, rolling tobacco and water pipe tobacco  
5. Title, number of p ages and language(s) of the notified document : Arrêté royal 
relatif au paquet standardisé des cigarettes, du tabac à rouler et du tabac à pipe à eau  
(Royal order on standardized packaging for cigarettes, rolling tobacco and water pipe 
tobacco) (7 pages, in  French ; 7 pages, in Dutch)  
6. Description of content : The notified regulation seeks to standardize the appearance of 
cigarette, rolling tobacco and water pipe tobacco packets, on the basis of Article 24 of 
Directive 2014/40/EU . It aims to define the colour of and the elements that may appear 
on cigarette, rolling tobacco and water pipe tobacco packaging.  
Article 1 of the royal order sets out its scope and Article 2 contains definitions.  
Article 3 establishes the relationship between the notified royal  order and the royal order 
of 5 February 2 016 on the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products.  
Articles 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 set out general provisions.  
Article 4 indicates that packets of such products must be in a single shade of colour.  
Article 5 indicates that, besides the tobacco -based product, only lining is permitted inside 
a unit pack.  
Article 6 prohibits certain techniques aimed at undermining the plain, standardized 
character of unit packs, packaging and overpacks . The article also prohibits  any inserts 
or other items inside the unit packs, outer packaging and overpacks.  G/TBT/N/BEL/43  
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  Article 7 indicates that cigarette, cigarette tube and rolling tobacco paper must be of a 
single colour.  
Article 8 indicates that the exterior and interior surfaces of unit p acks, outer packaging 
and overpacks must be smooth and, in the case of unit packs or outer packaging in a 
cuboid shape, smooth and flat.  
Article 9 addresses the characteristics of unit packs of rolling tobacco.  
Article 10 addresses the information that may  appear on unit packs.  
Article 11 introduces standardized packaging for packets of cigarette tubes and rolling 
tobacco paper where the brand name is the same as that of a tobacco -based product.  
Articles 12, 13 and 14 contain final provisions relating, inter alia, to the time frame for 
implementation and sanctions.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The provisions of the draft royal order are in line with those adopted by the 
United Kingdom and France and s hown to be effective in those member states.  
This measure forms part of the Belgian Minister of Health's anti -smoking plan.  
The introduction of plain packaging is intended to:  
- make the packaging and the brand image less attractive,  
- make the text or vis ual health warnings placed on tobacco -based products more 
effective,  
- reduce consumer misinformation regarding the dangers of tobacco.  
In the medium - to long -term, the introduction of plain packaging is also intended to 
reduce smoking prevalence and smoking initiation among youth.  
The minister responsible for health will, through a ministerial order, set more specific 
requirements regarding the appearance and content of the various unit packs of 
cigarettes, rolling tobacco and water pipe tobacco.  
The following documents have been annexed in order to provide further information on 
the implementation of plain packaging in Belgium:  
• Anti-smoking plan of the Minister of Public Health  
• Report to the Minister of Public Health on impact assessment in Austra lia and 
implementation within the EU  
• Report to the Minister of Public Health on impact assessment in France and the 
United Kingdom  
• Summary of legal challenges to standardized packaging  
• Report to the King  
8. Relevant documents:  
• Directive 2014/40/EU  
9. Proposed date of adoption : May 2 019 
Proposed date of entry into force : 1 January 2 020, except for retailers for whom the 
royal order will enter into force on 1 January 2 021  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from the date of notification.  G/TBT/N/BEL/43  
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  11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Service public fédéral Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne alimentaire et 
Environnement  (Federal Public Service  for Public Health, Food Chain Safety and 
Environment)  
Direction Générale Animaux, Végétaux et Alimentation  (Directorate -General for Animals, 
Plants and Foodstuffs)  
Service inspection produits de consommation  (Consumer Products Inspection Service)  
Eurostation, place Victor Horta 40/10, 1060 Saint -Gilles, Belgium  
Tel.: 02 524 73 73 and 02/ 524 74 73  
mathieu.capouet@sante.belgique.be  and eugenie.bertrand@sante.belgique.be  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/BEL/19_0325_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/BEL/19_0325_01_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/ BEL/19_0325_02_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/BEL/19_0325_03_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/BEL/19_0325_04_f.pdf