Estonian ministries critical of proposed Tobacco Products Directive revisions

Estonia’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (MEAC) have criticized the European Commission’s proposed revisions of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive, according to a story in The Baltic Course quoting LETA/Postimees Online reports.

The MEAC has said that the proposed cigarette pack revisions would disproportionately restrict the rights of businesses to use their trademarks.

Under the revisions, the text and picture warnings, along with pack identification marks, would take three quarters of the pack’s space, making it unlikely that the trademark could be displayed reasonably.

The two ministries say that bigger warnings and obligatory warning pictures on both sides of the packs are not justified as it is not possible to prove that such pictures or warnings would help promote health.

And they believe the proposed revisions might encourage an increase in the trade in illicit cigarettes.

Estonia’s draft response to the proposed directive revisions was supposed to reach the government for approval earlier this month, but the Ministry of Social Affairs, which is drafting the proposal, has asked for an extension until the beginning of March.