Given the internationally recognized contribution of GS1 standards to product identification, security, and traceability, and withing the need to meet the requirements of Implementing the EU Regulation 2018/574 which establishes a track and trace and data sharing system for tobacco products, in order to fight the illicit trade, the Greek Ministry of Finance collaborated with the GS1 Association-Greece to implement a special marking on tobacco products.

Leveraging the expertise of the GS1 Association-Greece, the Ministry of Finance now produces, through the Central Bank of Greece, the new tax stamps for tobacco products, which have been circulating in the market since February 2017. These stamps are specially designed with a specific color code from a designated supplier, etc., thus promoting the fight against illicit tobacco trade  in Greece.

A special type of barcode, GS1 DataMatrix, carries information on the product from the manufacturing company to the product characteristics, including the name of the responsible company executive with a telephone number, useful for both customs and other inspections and for consumers, who can access it by downloading an application on their mobile phones.

According to a feasibility study conducted by the EU, if all European countries adopt a common standard for the traceability and security of tobacco products, the results will be dramatic in combating illicit trade: The study predicts a 30% reduction in cigarette smuggling, a 10% reduction in counterfeit products, and a 10% reduction in "illegal whites," meaning commercial brands legally manufactured in one country but smuggled into another without paying taxes.