The tobacco traceability system – this applies to wholesalers and distributors
Wholesalers and other actors (distributors) who participate in the trade in tobacco products are responsible, among other things, for registering all measures taken for the tobacco products handled.
Request for identifier codes from the ID issuer
You who are wholesalers or other economic operators (distributors) who are involved in the trade of tobacco without selling to consumers, must request for identifier codes for yourself as an economic operator and for your facility or facilities. You shall request for the economic operator identifier from the ID issuer in each Member State in which you operate at least one facility.
For you as a wholesaler, there are also requirements for a permit to trade in tobacco products. An issued identification code does not replace the requirement to apply for such a permit.
If your customer does not have an identifier code as an operator nor an identifier code for their facility, you cannot deliver tobacco products (cigarettes or rolling tobacco) to the customer. You can request for these codes for your customer, but first you must obtain the customer's consent. When requesting for a facility code for an operator of a first retail outlet, it is important that the facility type is stated correctly as a first retail outlet.
The information about you as an economic operator and your facilities must be current and correct. If your circumstances changes, e.g. address, email address, company name, contact person, etc. you need to update the information without delay. If your business ceases, you must deactivate your identification codes.
Request for identifier codes from All Soft Corp
The request for identifier codes from the ID issuer is made in two steps. You receive your identifier code as an economic operator by registering via the form available on the ID issuer's website. You can then log into the ID issuer's system to request for identifier codes for your facility or facilities.
It is important that the facility is stated as a Standalone warehouse.
If you are operating standalone warehouses that are not based in the EU, where products manufactured in the EU and destined for the Union markets are handled (so called transit through third countries), you may apply for identifier codes (economic operator and facility) from the ID issuer competent for the Member State on whose market most of the products handled are placed.
For information on how to proceed, visit the ID issuer's website.
The information of you as an economic operator and regarding your facilities must be correct. If there are any changes in the information provided in the application, or if your business ceases, you must report this to the ID issuer immediately. If your business case to exist, the ID issuer shall de-register the economic operator identifier code. The de-registration of an economic operator identifier code results in an automatic de-registration of related facility identifier codes.
Aggregated unique identifiers
To simplify the registration of the tobacco products, aggregated packages of tobacco products can be marked with aggregated level unique identifiers (aggregated level UIs). You can choose to create these codes yourself or send a request for these to the competent ID issuers. When handling tobacco products, you may open previously aggregated packaging, such as pallets and transport boxes, and build new transport boxes and pallets. For each aggregation made an aggregated level UI must be created.
Each level of aggregation must be recorded via the router to the repository system.
Only if an aggregate level UI is to be reused, shall message 3.6 Disaggregation of aggregated level UIs, be sent to the repository system.
Traceability marking and security features on tobacco products
Fees for unique identifiers
The ID issuer may only charge fees for electronically delivered unique identifiers. The fee is laid down by the Government in Regulation (2019:224) on fees for unique identifiers on tobacco packages.
Regulation (2019:224) on fees for unique identifiers on tobacco packages (riksdagen.se) (In Swedish)
Registration of arrival, trans-loading and delivery
You must record all actions taken for the tobacco products you handle. The actions to be registered include "dispatch from a facility", “arrival at a facility” and "trans-loading". The financial transactions (order, invoice and invoice paid) linked to the tobacco product must also be registered.
Registered data may not be changed or deleted.
Establishing a register
You are responsible for establishing a register of all relevant transactions, as well as for transferring the data via the router to the database system.
It is important that events and transactions are reported in the correct order
The European Commission has published an information sheet on the EU's traceability system for tobacco products for actors participating in the distribution chain, which shows in general which logistical events should be reported and what is good to keep in mind.
On the European Commission's website, you can find a brochure describing common mistakes and how to correct them.
EU system of Tobacco Traceability: Common reporting mistakes (health.ec.europa.eu)
If tobacco products are destroyed or stolen
If tobacco products are destroyed or stolen, you as a wholesaler or distributor shall send a request for the deactivation of the unique identifiers via the router.
If tobacco products reported as stolen are recovered, you may transmit a reactivation request (message 2.4).
