Call For Papers

This is your opportunity to address 250 tax stamp professionals from around the world

If you are interested in presenting a paper, please send a 200-word abstract on your proposed topic or case study by 31 May 2023.

We also welcome your thoughts on any presenters, papers or themes you would like us to include.

Topics

To get the ball rolling, some topics and questions that are top of mind, as far as we see it, include:

  • Most countries that are party to the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products have until September this year to implement secure track and trace systems on tobacco products. What is the status of this? Will all countries be able to implement in time?
  • Illicit cigarette production facilities in the EU, and elsewhere, are morphing into localised, sophisticated operations that churn out massive quantities of counterfeit and other illicit products. How can this be stopped? What role could enforcement authorities, and even the EU Tobacco Products Directive, play in countering this scourge?
  • We want to hear from inspectors in the field as to the challenges they face when investigating suspect products and operations. How do they authenticate products? What devices do they use and which security features do they prefer? Most of us assume smartphones are widely used by inspectors to read codes and authenticate products, but is this really the case?
  • How are solution providers incorporating new, and potentially disruptive technologies like blockchain, IoT, AI, augmented reality, biometrics and drones into their offering? And is traditional security printing, in the face of these new technologies… dying?
  • Another question for solution providers: how are you integrating your specific solutions for tax stamps and track and trace into a broader tax and customs administration platform?

Other potential topics for a paper could include:

  • Success stories in terms of increased tax revenues, decreased illicit trade, increased seizures, or other outcomes, as a result of implementing tax stamp programmes
  • Market surveillance and point-of-sale monitoring programmes for helping enforcement authorities to identify illicit trade
  • Practical considerations for implementing tax stamp and traceability programmes
  • Tax stamp specification and tendering
  • Design and integration issues
  • Independent studies in illicit trade – what is currently available and where are the gaps?
  • Trends in tax and customs administrations that are relevant to secure marking and traceability
  • Use and relevance of the international tax stamp standard
The conference also has a specific focus on innovation and emerging technologies – so proposals for presentations on new technologies with the potential to enhance the production and protection of tax stamps are particularly welcome.

How to Submit Your Abstract and Ideas

If you wish to be considered for inclusion in the programme, please email Nicola Sudan (Conference Director) at [email protected] with a copy of your abstract or use the form below by 31 May 2023.

Please also send any ideas for topics to the same email address.