The Protocol on the Elimination of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (ITP), part of the Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is a treaty that was ratified to take binding measures to combat illicit tobacco trade worldwide. A key part of the effort was the establishment of a Track & Trace system for tobacco products. As a signatory to the Protocol, the European Union incorporated the principles and measures of the Protocol into the Tobacco Products Directive (EU TPD) and made the Track-&-Trace system operational in 28 countries in May 2019.

This study published by the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) considers whether these EU systems' experience can serve as a blueprint for implementing global Track & Trace systems.