Regional tobacco tax seminar brings researchers and policymakers together in Warsaw
Researchers from 13 Central and East European countries were joined by policymakers and international experts to exchange evidence and experience on tobacco tax reforms, with discussions covering health impacts, best practices and policy implementation
On September 22-24, wiiw-HEPA held a three-day research and policy seminar on tobacco taxation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in Warsaw, in collaboration with Economics for Health (EfH) – Johns Hopkins University and our local partner Institute for Structural Research (IBS).
The first (internal) half of the seminar brought together several dozen researchers from 13 countries in the region, including EU Member States and candidate countries, who shared their ongoing and published research on the tobacco market and policy landscape in their countries. Topics included modelled simulations, monitoring of reform effects, illicit trade, youth initiation, consumption surveys, and analyses of the economic and healthcare costs of smoking.
For the second (public) half of the seminar, the researchers were joined by over 30 CEE policymakers from ministries of finance, ministries of health, customs agencies, and national parliaments, as well as representatives from international organizations and countries with strong tobacco tax performance, such as the United Kingdom and France. The public sessions included presentations from the OECD, WHO, the EU’s DG TAXUD, and a Polish Undersecretary of Finance.
Wiiw-HEPA was represented at the seminar by all of its team members, who moderated several of the panels and delivered a presentation of their modelling of the fiscal and health implications of proposed EU tobacco tax legislation, which was conducted earlier this year for the European Parliament.