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Public Health

Step-by-step guide

Under the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU), manufacturers and importers of tobacco products, e cigarettes and refill containers have to submit key information to the authorities in the Member States in which they plan to market the products. The IT tool for providing this information is called the EU Common Entry Gate (EU-CEG).

How to use the EU Common Entry Gate (EU-CEG) system to submit information to EU Member States on tobacco products, e-cigarettes and refills to comply with Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU

Please read this information carefully before you start.

1) Do I need to register for a 'submitter ID'?

You must register for a submitter ID if:

  • you are a manufacturer or importer of tobacco products, e-cigarettes or refills.
    You will need to use your submitter ID every time you submit product information using EU-CEG. You should also quote it in any correspondence about the product information you submit.

You DO NOT need a submitter ID if:

  • you are a third party (e.g. a firm or advisor who is hired by a manufacturer/importer) submitting information on behalf of a manufacturer/importer.

Even if you have been asked to register for a submitter ID on behalf of a manufacturer or importer, you must fill in the registration form using the manufacturer or importer’s company details.

NOTE: A submitter ID does not give you access to any extra information or features in the EU-CEG system.

2) How to register for a submitter ID

Follow these steps to request a submitter ID:

  1. If you do not already have one, create an EU Login account
  2. Download the registration form - To download the file, click the right mouse button and select 'save the link as'
  3. Fill in the form
  4. Submit the form (follow the instructions on the form).
NOTE: Fill in the form in as much detail as possible (including the optional fields) and attach any official document (e.g. company registration/incorporation certificate, utility bill, tax return).

Once we receive your completed form, we will start the process of assigning your submitter ID.

This can take several days, especially during busy periods, so please be patient. Furthermore, the assignment of a submitter ID is only an intermediary step in providing your entity with an access to the EU-CEG.

Submissions via the EU-CEG will only be possible upon receipt of your PARTY identifier which requires additional processing time of up to several days. However, once the submitter ID has been assigned you can already download the XML Creator Tool and start working on your XML files; you can download it from the CIRACBC interest group.

Before we issue your submitter ID, we may need to ask you for some extra information. We also reserve the right to revoke a submitter ID if necessary.

3) Submitting information on tobacco products

The information you need to submit using EU-CEG is listed here:

Article 5 of Directive 2014/40/EU and the implementing decision on submitting information on tobacco products.

You should submit this information to the relevant Member State authorities before you place on the market any new or modified products.

See the tobacco products data dictionary for further details on the required information. Parts of this dictionary may also apply to herbal products for smoking.

4) Submitting information on e-cigarettes and refills

The information you need to submit using EU-CEG is listed here:

Article 20 of Directive 2014/40/EU and the implementing decision on submitting information on e-cigarettes and refills.

You must submit this information to the relevant Member State authorities 6 months before the date you intend to place on the market any new or substantially modified products.

See the electronic cigarettes and refill containers data dictionary for further details on the required information. Parts of this dictionary may also apply to nicotine-free products.

5) Technical options for submitting data

Once you have your submitter ID, you have 2 options for submitting product information to EU Member States via the EU-CEG:

  1. Standalone solution (for companies with a small IT infrastructure):
    Companies use an XML generator to create submissions that can be uploaded to EU-CEG later.
    The different XML files must be uploaded through the eTrustEx platform for DG SANTE. Should you have any questions, please contact the technical support (see “Contacts” tab)
  2. System-to-system solution (for companies with a large IT infrastructure or many products):
    To make system-to-system submissions, you’ll need access to the e-Delivery network. This network is operated by the Commission to enable information to be transferred safely and reliably. Upon receipt of your Submitter ID, the Commission's IT department will contact you with further instructions on how to set up this technical solution.

For more information on these 2 options, view our technical guidelines and/or visit the Commission's online library CIRCABC (see the "Download section").

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More information and contact

Should you have technical problems or general questions on EU-CEG, please: