Press Release: European Commission to appeal against New York court ruling

The European Commission decided on 20 March 2002 to appeal against a ruling by the New York District Court on 19 February 2002 in which the District Court refused to admit the complaint, as public revenue lost in other States could not be recovered through a US court. The EU alleges that American tobacco companies are involved in smuggling cigarettes, causing a loss of tax revenue in Europe. It is estimated that several hundred million euros in customs and tax revenue are lost every year.