Historical record: cigarettes black market drops below 11% | Progresiv
The black market for cigarettes fell for the first time in the last decade, below 11% of total consumption. According to Novel research, the illegal trade in cigarettes decreased sharply in September to 10.5%, 3.2 p.p. less than July. 
"The decrease occurred amid the sharp reduction of "cheap whites" (no-name cigarettes, legal or illegal products and destined for the black market), by 12.6 p.p., although the share remains high (49.3%). From the point of view of the distribution by regions, the northeast remains in September the most affected by the illegal trade, although it is decreasing by 0.9 p.p., to 28.6%. The biggest drop is in the southwest region, where the black market decreased by 9.4 p.p., to 12.9%. Significant decreases are noted in the west (6 p.p. to 15.8%) and north-west (5.4 p.p. to 7.8%) ”, said Marian Marcu, General Director of Novel Research.
Cigarettes producers believe that in order to reduce illicit trafficking, several legislative changes are needed, which, together with law enforcement authorities, have been unsuccessfully asked for several years. Thus, in addition to the unitary regulation, on a quantitative basis, of the crime of smuggling of cigarettes, it is necessary to intensify operations at the border crossing points of the EU, with Bulgaria and Hungary, the places of access for "cheap whites" and raw tobacco products, as well as establishing specific tasks for the local police and the gendarmerie, as the illegal trade in cigarettes is carried out almost unimpeded in their area of competence - markets, subway stations.
