LATEST ALERTS16th November 2023
Georgia: The parliament has adopted the bill that amends the current Law on Tobacco Control to postpone the regulation of standard plain packaging for tobacco products until 1st April 2025 in its first reading, press reports. This is despite the fact that the Health Protection and Social Affairs Committee has not supported the amendment recently. In addition, press reports, the bill seeks to exempt heated tobacco from standardised packaging rules.31st October 2023
- Georgia: The parliamentary Healthcare and Social Affairs Committee has discussed the bill amending the current Law on Tobacco Control, seeking to postpone the regulation of standard plain packaging of tobacco products until 1st April 2025, media reports. The bill reportedly also seeks to exempt heated tobacco from standardised packaging rules. As a result, the committee did not support the bill.
30th October 2023
- Georgia: Two bills seeking to amend the current Law on Tobacco Control have been submitted to the parliament, media reports. Plain packaging for tobacco products is due to be introduced on 31st July 2024. However, if adopted, the first bill would establish a transition period, allowing both plain packaging and old-design boxes to be on the market until 1st April 2025 – after this date, only plain packaging will be permitted. The second bill would allow manufacturers to put the brand name in the Latin alphabet for plain packaging boxes (as opposed to only in Georgian, as currently stipulated in the law).
14th December 2022
Georgia: Amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control came into effect yesterday, postponing the requirement for standardised plain packaging of tobacco products to 31st July 2024. The regulation was reportedly originally supposed to come into force in 2018, but was then put back until 31st December 2022.
30th November 2022
Georgia: The requirement for standardised plain packaging on tobacco products, which should have come into force on 31st December 2022 under the current legislation, is postponed to 31st July 2024 after Parliament approved proposed changes to the Law on Tobacco Control at their first reading.
22nd November 2022
Georgia: The parliamentary Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration Committee has discussed a proposed amendment to the Law on Tobacco Control, media reports. If it is adopted, the regulation of standardised plain packaging for tobacco products, which should come into force on 31st December 2022 under the current legislation, will be put back by two years. The proposal follows industry demands to postpone the regulation due to the war in Ukraine, which was the main manufacturer of tobacco products imported into Georgia.
27th October 2022
Georgia: Standardised plain packaging for tobacco products will become mandatory from 31st December under the Law on Tobacco Control, media reports. Tobacco importing companies had called for implementation of the rule to be postponed to enable them to switch to alternative suppliers due to the war in Ukraine, which used to be the main producer of tobacco products for Georgia; however, deputy health minister Tamar Gabunia reportedly said there was no reason to delay.
21st October 2022
- Georgia: Tobacco importing companies are demanding that the regulation for standard packaging for tobacco products in Georgia is postponed, media reports. Last week, we reported that this regulation, which is due to come into force on 31st December 2022, might be postponed. If adopted, the proposed bill would postpone the change to 31st December 2024 due to the war in Ukraine, as more than 80% of the tobacco products intended for Georgia were produced in Ukrainian factories and now tobacco importers must find alternative markets. According to the importers, this process can't be finalised until the end of this year, which is why they are demanding approval of the relevant bill as soon as possible.
13th October 2022
Georgia: The transition to standardised packaging for tobacco products, due to come into force on 31st December, may be postponed, media reports. It is now proposed to delay the change by two years as more than 80% of tobacco products intended for Georgia were produced in Ukraine, and the war there means importers now have to find other producers.
26th May 2022
- Georgia: Solomon Pavliashvili, the deputy minister of environment and agriculture, has held a large-scale meeting with manufacturers and importers of batteries and electronic equipment, discussing the deadline for the implementation of technical government regulations adopted on 25th May 2020, on waste management of electrical and electronic equipment and waste management of batteries and accumulators, which is to be 1st June this year, media reports. We believe these regulations may potentially influence the heated tobacco and e-cigarette devices sectors.
6th May 2022
- Georgia: Before 1st September 2022, the parliament is planning to amend the Law on Tobacco Control. It intends to introduce health warnings on packs and notification requirements for tobacco products, media reports. As nicotine-containing e-cigarette products and heated tobacco products fall under the definition of tobacco products in Georgia, we believe that such requirements would be applicable to them.
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