Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1911/91, the rates applicable varied between 0.1 and 5%, with the exemption of manufactured tobacco to which a rate of 15% applied. From 1996, these rates were reduced by 20% annually with a view to phasing out the tax completely
. It is regrettable that the Commission’s proposal envisages rates of 5%, 15% and even 25%, wh
ich are much higher than those previously envisaged and which had been considerably reduced in respect of the APIM. Thus, between 31 July 2000
...[+++] and 31 December 2001, the rate applicable to tobacco was 3.45%.