I am from Italy so I know all the story. It has always been so and has nothing to do with EU or protecting tobacco stores. It is about all tobacco product which are under monopoly of the government from production to sale. The tobacconists are actually in some way government employees who are licensed to sell any product under government monopoly such as lottery ticket and until recently (don't laught as it is true) matches and cooking salt. For example the equivalent of the IRS are going to count the number of leaves in the tobacco fields. It has always so for centuries and in the past worse than now. It is all about tax collection.
