A customer purchases a bottle of whiskey as his child looks on at one of the duty free shops at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, September 24. The European Commission has ruled out going back on a decision to scrap duty free sales within the European Union in mid-1999, despite intense industry lobbying. EU finance ministers decided unanimously in 1991 to abolish duty free sales for travellers within the 15-nation bloc from June 30, 1999. Any decision to reverse this would also need approval by all member states.

EUROPE DUTY FREE