This analysis examines the 2025 KPMG report on illicit tobacco trade in Europe, commissioned by Philip Morris International, and assesses its findings in light of independent public evidence. It unpacks the report's methodology and underlying assumptions, compares its conclusions with data from French and European public authorities, and sheds light on the structural drivers of parallel tobacco markets that the industry's narrative tends to overlook.

Drawing on these findings, as the EU considers revisions to its tobacco legislation, the report calls for a more balanced debate on illicit tobacco trade, one grounded in independent evidence and the commitments under the WHO Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

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