Structure of unit level UIs
Article 8
1. Each unit packet of tobacco products shall be marked with a unit level UI. It shall consist of as short a sequence of alphanumeric characters as possible, not exceeding 50 characters. The sequence shall be unique to a given unit packet and shall be composed of the following data elements: (a) in the first position, the alphanumeric characters that constitute the ID issuer identification code assigned pursuant to Article 3(4); (b) an alphanumeric sequence, whose probability to be guessed shall be negligible and in any case lower than one in ten thousand (‘serial number’); (c) a code (‘product code’) allowing for the determination of the following: i. the place of manufacturing; ii. the manufacturing facility referred to in Article 16; iii. the machine used to manufacture the tobacco products referred to in Article 18; iv. the product description; v. the intended market of retail sale; vi. the intended shipment route; vii. where applicable, the importer into the Union; (d) in the last position, the time stamp in the form of a numeric sequence of eight characters, in the format YYMMDDhh, indicating the date and time of manufacture. 2. ID issuers shall be responsible for the generation of a code consisting of the elements listed in paragraph 1, points (a), (b), and (c). 3. Manufacturers or importers shall add the time stamp referred to in paragraph 1, point (d), to the code generated by the ID issuer pursuant to paragraph 2. 4. Unit level UIs shall not include any data elements other than those listed in paragraph 1. Where ID issuers use encryption or compression for the generation of unit level UIs, they shall inform the competent authorities of the Member States and the Commission of algorithms used for such encryption and compression. Unit level UIs shall not be reused.