AGRICULTURE - Market Sectors - Plant products

Raw Tobacco

Production and tradeIn the EU, tobacco cultivation represents some 100,000 ha and 60,000 specialist producers.

Tobacco is grown in 12 EU countries. The main producers are Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Poland, which account for around 85% of the EU tobacco growing area. There is a trend towards smaller growing areas, mainly due to falling consumption of tobacco products.

The EU produces some 200,000 tonnes of dried tobacco leaves a year. Yields vary between 1 and 3 tonnes a hectare, depending on the variety. "Flue-cured" Virginia varieties account for almost 50% of output, "light-air-cured" Burley varieties around 15%, "sun-cured" or oriental almost 35% and other varieties ("dark-air-cured" and "fire-cured") less than 3%.

The EU produces less than 3% of global yearly raw tobacco production, and imports some 400,000 tonnes a year, mainly from Africa and America. It exports around 100,000 tonnes a year. World raw tobacco supply matches demand, with average market prices more or less stable since 2009.

Legal basis
The EU's tobacco regime (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013contains rules for raw tobacco (CN code 2401), notably on interbranch organisations and producer groups.
Since 1st January 2010, the EU has not granted any specific subsidies for raw tobacco production. The old subsidy was converted into direct payments(Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 and rural development support (Regulation(EU) No 1309/2013

Tobacco sector reform
In April 2004, the Council of EU Agricultural Ministers decided to reform the raw-tobacco sector along the same principles as the CAP reform of June 2003. The system of production quotas was abolished and financial support decoupled from production. EU Member States covered by the tobacco regime were given a transition period to adjust, between 2006 and 2009.

During this period, these Member States could either completely break the link between production and the financial aid provided to the tobacco sector (known as "decoupling") or continue to link part of the provided aid to production. Decoupling aid from production allows producers to grow other crops – if they wish – while maintaining stable incomes.

Since 2010, EU aid has been completely decoupled from production. 50% of the previous tobacco aid was incorporated into the direct payment system. The other 50% went into the EU's rural development programmes, particularly in tobacco-growing regions.

Statistics


Evaluations


List of recognised cross-industry organisations in the tobacco sector
More info on Tobacco...
Management committee
Civil dialogue group
  • Meetings of the CMO
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Meetings of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets - Live plants & Flowers

Legal basis
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 Search for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007

Summary records (drafted and edited by the European Commission) 
Note: The topics of the meetings are mentioned for information purposes only. They are not necessarily exhaustive.
  • 19/01/2016: 148th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 15/12/2015: 140th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 24/11/2015: 134th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 27/10/2015: 128th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 29/09/2015: 118th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 27/08/2015: 116th meeting (Sugar - cereals - fibers - olive oil - animal products)
  • 03/07/2015: 109th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 09/06/2015: 101st meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 05/05/2015: 96th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 14/04/2015: 90th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products, olive oil)
  • 17/03/2015: 83rd meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 17/02/2015: 75th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 29/01/2015: 73rd meeting (Sugar - cereals - fibers - Russian import ban)
  • 13/01/2015: 68th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 09/12/2014: 63rd meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 18/11/2014: 57th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 21/10/2014: 50th meeting (School Fruit Scheme, horticultural products)
  • 28/08/2014: 40th meeting (Animal products - horticultural products - arable crops)
  • 16/07/2014: 34th meeting (Wine - School fruit Scheme - horticultural products)
  • 14/01/2014: 1st meeting (Fruit and vegetables, olive oil)


Civil dialogue Groups - Flowers

The Commission publishes all relevant documents such as agendas, minutes, conclusions, partial conclusions or working documents on the activities carried out by the civil dialogue group on horticulture, spirits, olives and flowers.
Exceptions to systematic publication will be made where disclosure of a document would undermine the protection of a public or private interest as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
09/11/2016 : "Olives"
18/10/2016 : "Olives"
18/10/2016 : "Fruits and vegetables"
14/10/2016 : "Spirits"
27/05/2016 : "Olives"

15/03/2016 : "Spirit drinks"

26/02/2016 : "Fruit and vegetables"

19/11/2015 : "Olives"

13/10/2015 : "Fruit and vegetables"

06/10/2015 : "Spirit drinks"

02/10/2015 : "Flowers"

10/06/2015 : "Spirit drinks"

05/06/2015 : "Olives"

27/02/2015 : "Fruit and vegetables"

24/02/2015 : "Spirit drinks"
08/12/2014 : "Spirit drinks"
31/10/2014 : "Olives"
10/10/2014 : "Flowers"
01/10/2014 : "Fruit and vegetables"