I believe it is the personal use thing since they are in the EU.

You can bring back 3,200 ciggies making it sixteen packs of 200 for personal use

I agree that there is no limit to the amount that you can bring back for personal use. Customs have been known to try to frighten or bully people, so a plan may be to tell Customs how many you are bringing in and how long you expect them to last. That way it is more difficult for them to pretend that you intend to sell them, as they can check on how may you have left in a few years time. You can do this before you even go, and this is probably better, as Customs know that if they object you can check with the Citizen's Advice Bureau on how to ask the EU to make them behave, and you don't even risk temporary impounding of you cigs.

Remember that we all have successfully arranged free trade in the EU (by voting for MPs who voted for it), and employ MPs in the parliaments and officials to enforce this. This is democracy.