Ok guys, just came from the customs now...

[chainsnuser]

the same law applies for any type of tobacco (SNUS and other oral tobacco falls into the same law as pipe tobacco because there is no "special" law for oral tobacco.

No, the list of import restrictions for tobacco products is a terminatory listing, which contains only locally taxable tobacco products. You must read and understand it as "... of all other types of tobacco, not mentioned here, you can import as much as you want".

There is no entry "of all other types of tobacco you can import "x" grams".

Cheers!

[Snusdog]

OK so let me see if I have got this straight

Precious you are saying it is legal to ship snus within the EU between member countries

But to ship snus from outside the EU there is a limit of 50g?

Is this correct?

[precious007]

OK so let me see if I have got this straight

Precious you are saying it is legal to ship snus within the EU between member countries

But to ship snus from outside the EU there is a limit of 50g?

Is this correct?

yes sir

that is what I've been told today from numerous sources

and believe me anyone can send snus to Romania tommorow from inside the E.U and it won't be confiscated nor taxed (if it's less than 1KG)

[Frosted]

yes sir

that is what I've been told today from numerous sources

and believe me anyone can send snus to Romania tommorow from inside the E.U and it won't be confiscated nor taxed (if it's less than 1KG)

Ok. So if you bring 50g from the US in you pay no tax but if you bring in more you get taxed at UK vat rates??

I can assure you though, even though customs are a bunch of mongs, they will not accept a 'tip' in the UK.

[precious007]

I know Frosted .... UK customers don't accept tipping.

Ok. So if you bring 50g from the US in you pay no tax but if you bring in more you get taxed at UK vat rates??

No you are not allowed to bring more than 50 grams if you order online from U.S.

Frosted you can check this both on the UK customs site .. I already posted it on the thread, OR call them in tommorow and they will tell you the exact same thing. I already did call UK as well.........

In other words we are all screwed in EU. The only way to get SNUS now is to go to Sweden and buy 1KG once in a while (it's 100% legal) ....... which might make me quit snus....... I cannot afford to go 3 times a year to spend 1000 EUROS on snus, it's too much of a task for me...................

[Frosted]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but if those are the rulings only a retard could have made them.

[precious007]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but if those are the rulings only a retard could have made them.

that's what I told the customs today and he KEPT on getting all nervous loool

That he didn't make the law and all that shit.............. lol but they're truly retarted ..............

Like you avatar says ..... E.U = Hitler's dream come true............ seemingly EU is not controlled by the World's banks (US banks) or by the US as many have said in the beggining but it's slowly stopping the major imports including tobacco from US ......... and globalizing the whole ****ing Europe.........

just as a rant.......... prices have sky rocketed in Romania since we are members of EU, taxes are much higher..... a business is much harder to survive....... real estates are 10 times more expesive............ now they are banning SNUS.... wait until they put EUROS in circulation in Romania then you'll see people starving around...... literally..... and all the states in EU have been affected by this stupid Union...........

I mean I have to make 30 ****ing orders to US ... to get my stuff on montly basis ......it's insane

[chadizzy1]

I mean I have to make 30 ****ing orders to US ... to get my stuff on montly basis ......it's insane

doesn't it make you wonder how many bribes and how much hush money big tobacco spent to make sure it was so? To keep people smoking and their products more accessible and keep snus out of reach.

[precious007]

doesn't it make you wonder how many bribes and how much hush money big tobacco spent to make sure it was so? To keep people smoking and their products more accessible and keep snus out of reach.

bet ya' it was in the billions.

Of course the big fish will always swallow the smaller fish that's the way it has been and will be but ......... do these guys ever think of harm reduction?

I'm getting more sick every day when I see a smoker ....... ARRGG

basically what they did was to ban snus, from being sold from Sweden ... so many people would quit ..... from EU because just like me I wouldn't be able to take trips there every now and then................. and then adjust the law so you can't bring snus from US either................

No one is crazy enough to make 30 orders per months .... and pay $5 per package just to get the stuff from US

might switch to cocaine it's more accessible LMAO kidding

I think Northerner and the other shops online selling tobacco should double check on the current laws to bring snus in the EU and put a big warning on their site that there is no more than 50 grams allowed to be purchased online from US to EU.

[Snusdog]

Debate over Matter settled- see Commission report below

yes sir

that is what I've been told today from numerous sources

and believe me anyone can send snus to Romania tomorrow from inside the E.U and it won't be confiscated nor taxed (if it's less than 1KG)

Thank you

The problem is that what you were told is in fact the very opposite of what is the case. A moment of reflection should make this point. One has only to consider what has actually happened in the past few days to see this.

1) Northerner has suspended shipments from its EU warehouse

2) Northerner continues shipments to the EU from the USA

3) SM has pulled its products from the EU market

Since my last post I have read the relevant sections of:

1) Directive 2001/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 5 June 2001

2) Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, Annex IX

3) Commission report COM/2010/0399 final

#3 is the most recent document listed on the EU site. It is also the most clear (less legal mumbo jumbo) and it sets forth the current position in the EU with clarity.

It is ironic that the Finish case which brought so much of the recent events to head was not because of Finland's hard stance against Tobacco but right the opposite. Finland has been under EU and anti-tobacco fire for their laxity on snus. What seems to have happened is pretty much as we called it with this exception. SM sounded the alarm because Finland's case marked a potential crack down on existing law. As a side note you will see in the Commissions report a mention of the 6 year prison sentence that Northerner mentioned in their Facebook letter (it seems that there was some confusion as to where that number came from).

Anyway here is the commission's report together with its citation of the relevant laws. I can give you the links to those laws but the Commission's report has either presented the text of the law or summarized it in a thorough manner.

all Bold text is my emphasis

52010DC0399
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL on the implementation by the Kingdom of Sweden of the measures necessary to ensure that oral tobacco is not placed on the market in other Member States /* COM/2010/0399 final */

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 29.7.2010
COM(2010)399 final

INTRODUCTION
Article 8 of the Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EC) bans putting on the market of oral tobacco. The ban was originally set by the first Tobacco Products Directive (Directive 89/622/EEC, as amended by Directive 92/41/EEC).
In its Accession Treaty Sweden got a derogation:
"The prohibition in Article 8a of Directive 89/622/EEC, as amended by Directive 92/41/EEC, concerning the placing on the market of the product defined in Article 2 (4) of Directive 89/622/EEC, as amended by Directive 92/41/EEC, shall not apply in Sweden and Norway, with the exception of the prohibition to place this product on the market in a form resembling a food product."[1]
The derogation was granted on condition that Sweden shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the product referred to in paragraph (a) is not placed on the market in the Member States for which Directives 89/622/EEC and 92/41/EEC are fully applicable.[2]
The Accession Treaty also obliged the Commission to monitor the actual implementation of these measures and report to the Council.[3]

On 10 November 2009 the Commission sent the following request for information to all Member States through the Regulatory Committee under the Tobacco Products Directive:
- to what extent is snus consumed or marketed in your MemberState (prevalence of use among adults/adolescents, sales through internet, passenger imports, smuggling)?
- what measures has your MemberState taken (in addition to the marketing ban) to prevent snus from entering your market?
As regards Sweden, this question seeks to know what measures this country has taken ensure that snus produced in Sweden is not placed on the market in other Member States.Altogether 23 Member States have responded to this request.

MARKETING OF SNUS
Sweden
In reply to the Commission's inquiry on the marketing of snus, Sweden pointed out that any type of sale, including sales through internet, to another MemberState is illegal under the Swedish law. The relevant legal provision is found in Section 14 of the national Tobacco Act (1993:581).
However, this prohibition does not cover the sale of tobacco products or commercial messages at points of sale for tobacco products. These commercial messages at points of sale for tobacco may, however, not be intrusive or proactive or encourage the use of tobacco.
Moreover, the Swedish Consumer Agency has issued general guidelines on the marketing of tobacco products to consumers (KOVFS 2009:7). These general guidelines relate to the provisions on marketing contained in the Tobacco Act and to the Marketing Practices Act, and their aim is to increase compliance with the regulations on the marketing of tobacco directed at consumers.

[Snusdog]

PART 2: Debate Over

MARKETING OF SNUS(cont)
Other Member States
Member States reported that snus is not placed on the market in their jurisdiction. Snus could nevertheless be brought into the country by passengers. There is no data on the quantities of passenger imports of snus, except from Finland. Finland reports that the amount of passengers traveling between Finland and Sweden, who have imported snus to Finland, has doubled during 2005-2007.
Smuggling was generally not regarded as a problem.
However, many Member States indicated that snus is marketed through the internet. Control is difficult to ensure.

Prevalence of snus in Member States is either insignificant or there is no data. However, in Finland, around 5 % of adult males and 2 % of females use snus. Around 40 % of Finland's 18-year old boys have tried snus and 10 % of them use snus regularly.
Finland states that the figures have grown in recent years due to marketing of snus to passengers traveling between Finland and Sweden. This consumption results from private imports from abroad (mainly from Sweden), internet sales (mainly from Sweden) or sales of smuggled snus in the black market. Prosecutions have shown that the illegal imports and sales is common and organized on a national scale. The Finnish custom authorities regularly conduct extensive criminal investigations in cooperation with their Swedish counterparts.

Because commercial import and selling of snus is prohibited in Finland, there are no official consumption figures. However, according to the statistics legal private imports of snus from Sweden has steadily increased since 2005[4].

In Sweden 19% of men and 4% of women use snus daily.

Slovenia reports that one person has been fined for marketing snus in 2006.
Slovenia and Denmark report on other smokeless products than snus on their market.


PREVENTION MEASURES
Sweden
As a result of Sweden’s commitment in the Treaty of Accession, Sweden introduced an Ordinance prohibiting the exportation of snus (1994:1266). The Ordinance entered into force on 1 January 1995. Section 1, first paragraph of the Ordinance provides that snus may not be exported to another country in the European Union. Under Section 1, second paragraph, the prohibition does not apply to goods carried by travelers and intended for their personal use or as a gift for personal use. Consequently, the purchase of snus for personal use or as a gift is exempt when making journeys from Sweden.
The exportation of snus to other Member States is a punishable offence under the Swedish law. Sanctions for offences against the above Ordinance are laid down in the Smuggling Penalties Act (2000:1225). Section 3 states that a person who intentionally transfers goods out of the country in contravention of a specifically prescribed prohibition (i.e. the Ordinance prohibiting the exportation of snus) shall be found guilty of smuggling. The current penalty for smuggling of snus, for example, is a fine or imprisonment for up to two years (Section 3).
If the court finds that the offence is grave, the sentence shall be imprisonment for at least six months and at the most six years (Section 5). Minor offences are punishable by fines (Section 4). In cases in which the offence cannot be considered intentional, an offender can be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for at most two years for unlawful export (Section 7). Property that has been the object of an offence under the Smuggling Penalties Act or the value of such goods can be declared forfeit, unless this is obviously unreasonable (Section 16).
The Swedish statutes therefore make all exportation of snus from Sweden to another MemberState unlawful and punishable, with the exception of goods for travelers' personal use or as a gift for personal use. This also makes it illegal to export snus by distance selling, including online sales, when the recipient is in another MemberState. Snus can only be transported from Sweden to another MemberState if an individual traveling across the border takes the snus with him or her for his or her personal use or as a gift for personal use.
Furthermore, it could also be stated that Swedish authorities apply the legislation in practice.[5] A number of Swedish authorities including the courts are taking measures against sellers of snus to another MemberState. As a result, increasing quantities of snus have been confiscated in Sweden as follows:
- 2006 156 kg
- 2007 323 kg
- 2008 474 kg
- 2009 (until October) 641 kg

[Snusdog]

PART 3: Debate Over

PREVENTION MEASURES (cont)
Other Member States
A great majority of Member States report that they have not taken any measures in addition to banning snus. Some Member States indicated that they have banned sales of tobacco products on the internet.
In this respect Finland is an exception. Due to an extensive flow of snus imports from Sweden to private users and black market, the Finnish Government has decided to take more stringent action.
Finland reported that the following measures are being discussed in the parliament:
- private import of snus for own use only will be restricted to 30 small boxes per trip
- private ordering of snus from the internet will be criminalized
- private selling of snus (e.g. to a friend) will be criminalized.

CONCLUSIONS
In order to implement its obligations under the Accession Treaty, Sweden has criminalized commercial export of snus and applies strict penalties. Export of snus is allowed only for travelers' personal use or as a gift for personal use. Distance selling of snus is illegal under the Swedish law, including online sales, when the recipient is in another MemberState.
No other MemberState reported any signs of snus being commercially placed on their market. However, passenger imports is common and snus appears to be available through internet throughout the EU. No data exists as to what extent the internet vendors of snus operate from the Swedish territory.
Finland plans to have additional preventive measures, such as restrictions on passenger imports of snus. Other Member States have not reported any measures additional to the marketing ban.

Footnotes
[1] Council ACT concerning the conditions of accession of the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded, ANNEX XV - List provided for in Article 151 of the Act of Accession - X. MISCELLANEOUS, point (a).
[2] Ibid., point (b).
[3] Ibid,. points (c) and (d).
[4] Report on snus published by the Product Supervisory Centre of Social and Health Care (reference: Nuuskaraportti, Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon tuotevalvontakeskus, 2008).
[5] The Ordinance prohibiting the exportation of snus (1994:1266) and the Smuggling Penalties Act (2000:1225).

[precious007]

snudog,

read through the article you pasted here .. and that's what I was saying as well.

you're not allowed and it's illegal to sell snus from Sweden to member states - correct.

But that doesn't mean you can't carry back 1kg of snus between member states.

And I was more concerned about BUYING FROM U.S rather than bringing snus from Sweden because I wouldn't go to sweden to buy a two rolls of snus in any case.

And as far as I have been informed we are allowed to bring throug online purchase from US -------- 50 grams of SNUS.

I guess all the people on this forum are now into buying from U.S and having the snus shipped to EU countries..... which is most likely to get the snus confiscated by the customs.

Hope you understand what I meant.

Finland reported that the following measures are being discussed in the parliament:
- private import of snus for own use only will be restricted to 30 small boxes per trip
- private ordering of snus from the internet will be criminalized
- private selling of snus (e.g. to a friend) will be criminalized.

correct but I was largely referring to bring SNUS from U.S.

I am sure all member states in EU will slowly start taking the measures for buying/selling/and private import or private selling of snus. But the laws are just being introduced now.

[Snusdog]

Precious

Yes!

inner EU sales out

US to EU sales unchanged

[precious007]

This also makes it illegal to export snus by distance selling, including online sales, when the recipient is in another MemberState. Snus can only be transported from Sweden to another MemberState if an individual traveling across the border takes the snus with him or her for his or her personal use or as a gift for personal use."

basically the only way to get snus from EU state to EU state is if an individual is travelling across the border. Cool!

That I didn't know

but again dog I have been talking today about the import/selling/buying from US.

No one is that stupid to spend 400 euros on a plane ticket to get their snus from Sweden and everyone is probably interested now to buy from U.S which is impossible ....................................... you'd have to make 15 orders per month for 15 cans of loose.