LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”) (NYSE / Euronext Paris: PM) announced today 32 projects selected in the first funding round of PMI IMPACT, a global initiative to support organizations in developing and implementing projects dedicated to fighting illegal trade and related crimes. The PMI IMPACT Expert Council reviewed and selected the projects from more than 200 proposals.

Projects come from public, private, and academic organizations in 18 countries. Grants to be allocated in this first round of PMI IMPACT are approximately USD 28 million.

“The creative solutions and innovative actions proposed by the selected projects can significantly help advance the global efforts against illegal trade and contribute to alleviating the pervasive consequences of crime on our economy, society, and global security,” stated Jürgen Storbeck, Expert Council member. “We congratulate the successful applicants for their excellent proposals, which we now look forward to seeing implemented.”

The selected projects cover a broad range of activities in the European Union and neighboring countries, in line with the theme of the first round. Many projects go beyond tackling the illegal tobacco trade to explore the nexus between organized crime, terrorism, online and offline trafficking, and the interdependencies between different forms of illegal trade.

“It is impressive to see such a wide range of new approaches that address the core of this complex problem. Illicit tobacco trade is just one face of a growing web of crimes, and we know that it’s only through coordinated actions of many public and private actors that we can put an end to these illegal activities that harm consumers, damage businesses, and allow criminals to prosper.” stated Alvise Giustiniani, PMI’s Vice President Illicit Trade Strategies & Prevention.

The projects are expected to be completed over the next two years, and include:

• Research exploring the scope and drivers of illegal trade;
• Technical solutions and equipment to support law enforcement operations;
• Activities to enhance the capacity and proficiency of law enforcement agencies and other actors; and
• Education and awareness programs, including initiatives for greater cross-sector collaboration.

A list of the selected projects is available on the PMI IMPACT website:

http://www.pmi-impact.com/updates/firstfundinground

PMI IMPACT will soon call for project proposals for its second funding round. PMI has pledged USD 100 million for three funding rounds of PMI IMPACT.

Philip Morris International Inc.

PMI is a leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of Reduced-Risk Products (“RRPs”). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.