The Canary Islands Association of Tobacco Manufacturers (ACIT), chaired by Dácil Barreto, has expressed concern following the Council of Ministers’ approval of the preliminary draft of the Tobacco Law reform. The organization warns that if the legislation is enacted as currently proposed, it could have negative consequences for employment, investment, and exports in the Canary Islands.
According to the association, the tobacco sector is considered strategic for the Canary Islands’ economy and plays a significant role in the archipelago’s industrial activity. ACIT notes that the industry generates more than 6,000 jobs and accounts for approximately 14% of the Canary Islands’ industrial GDP.
According to the association, the tobacco sector is considered strategic for the Canary Islands’ economy and plays a significant role in the archipelago’s industrial activity. ACIT notes that the industry generates more than 6,000 jobs and accounts for approximately 14% of the Canary Islands’ industrial GDP.
ACIT has pointed out that the approved text will now begin the legislative process, during which consultations, reports, and debates will still need to take place before its final approval. For this reason, the organization considers it essential that, during this phase, a detailed assessment be conducted of the economic, industrial, and social impact that the future regulations could have on the islands.
The association insists that the Canary Islands have unique economic characteristics that require a specific analysis. In this regard, it maintains that any reform of this magnitude must take into account the particularities of the regional economy and the potential consequences for business competitiveness and job retention.
Another point highlighted by ACIT is the need for the debate to be based on technical criteria and scientific evidence. The organization has also expressed concern that the draft bill was approved without seeking the opinion of the Council of State, a step that was initially included in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Report prepared by the Ministry of Health.
Furthermore, the employers’ association believes it would be advisable to coordinate future Spanish regulations with the process of revising the regulatory framework on tobacco products currently underway in the European Union. In its view, this coordination would help strengthen legal certainty and prevent a succession of regulatory changes within a short period of time.
The industry insists that protecting public health and safeguarding the industrial base should not be viewed as incompatible goals. The position put forward by ACIT calls for balanced regulation, based on a prior analysis of its effects and the participation of all stakeholders.
For companies such as Dos Santos, S.A., the parliamentary process represents an opportunity for the Canary Islands to convey their economic and industrial reality to those responsible for drafting future regulations. The goal, according to industry representatives, is for regulatory decisions to be made with full awareness of their impact on employment, investment, and productive activity on the islands.
The tobacco industry has been part of the Canary Islands’ economic fabric for decades and makes a significant contribution to employment, industrial activity, investment, and exports. For this reason, we believe that the archipelago’s unique economic characteristics must be taken into account during the legislative process for the future Tobacco Law, ensuring that regulatory decisions reflect the specific realities of the islands.
