The European Commission suspects that a surge of pro-industry submissions opposing its proposed overhaul of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive was likely coordinated and intended to distort public consultation feedback, according to comments from Commission tax official David Boublil as reported by Politico. Thousands of largely anonymous responses promoting tobacco industry arguments, along with what are believed to be fake submissions attributed to public health experts, were filed in the final hours of the consultation period.
While the Commission did not identify who was behind the activity, Boublil described industry lobbying on the issue as “gigantic.” The proposal would raise the EU-wide minimum excise duty on cigarettes from €90 to €215 per 1,000 cigarettes, a move opposed by several member states. The scrutiny comes amid broader upcoming EU reviews of tobacco taxation and regulation, including plans to extend tobacco control rules to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches from 2026.
