The Project aims at studying the phenomenon of cigarette smuggling from both a criminological and a criminal policy perspective, with a view to providing some useful suggestions as to how criminal policies against this phenomenon should be shaped in order to be both just and effective.

From a criminological point of view, the starting hypothesis, which the Project aims to verify, lies in the idea that, to a large extent, within the Mediterranean area cigarette smuggling should be seen as entwined with the smuggling of persons and drug trafficking.

This hypothesis will be verified by providing a criminological analysis of the relevant criminal phenomena. In particular, relying on academic relationships with Universities in Germany, Greece, Portugal and Spain, we will first of all collect a sufficient amount of data concerning the criminal phenomena analysed (smuggling of tobacco, Drug trafficking and smuggling of persons). Then, on the basis of this data collection, we will try to answer to crucial questions such as the following: are those criminal activities performed by the same subjects? Who are these subjects? What is the role of criminal organizations in these phenomena? Do these different kinds of smuggling follow the same Mediterranean routes? Are they performed by applying the same criminal strategies?

From a juridical point of view our intermediate objective will then be that of verifying whether and to what extent the criminal policies deployed so far by both the EU and such paradigmatic border MSs as Italy, Spain and Greece against cigarette smuggling can be said to be effective. In doing this, we will also compare the criminal policies in these border states with those of other European states which are only indirectly concerned by the smuggling of both human beings and cigarettes, such as Germany and Portugal.

Starting from this assumption, the Project aspires – and this is its final objective – to suggest some criminal policies – both preventive and repressive – aimed at improving the "quality" of both the EU and the MSs approach to cigarette smuggling; these policies should be founded, firstly, on the consideration that fighting illicit trade means tackling organised criminality and its manifold criminal activities; and, secondly, on the awareness of the primary role played by the EU on this matter, due to the fact that the borders of European states are no longer merely national borders, but borders of the EU.