EC Commission v French Republic, EC Commission v Austria and EC Commission v Ireland

International: Tobacco taxes

In the related cases of EC Commission v French Republic (ECJ Case C-197/08); EC Commission v Austria (ECJ Case C-198/08) and EC Commission v Ireland (ECJ Case C-221/08) the ECJ has found in favour of the Commission holding that the imposition of minimum retail prices for tobacco was a breach of EC Directive 95/59/EC.

Why it matters: This is clearly a politically controversial topic. The decision is a defeat for the anti-smoking lobby and a victory for smokers.