The European Commission launched a public consultation on plans to update the EU’s tobacco control framework, reflecting changing market dynamics, evolving consumption trends, and the growing role of digital marketing in nicotine product promotion. The proposed directive aims to strengthen public health protections, improve the functioning of the EU internal market, and support implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in line with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. The feedback period for the initiative runs from May 18 to June 15, and is expected to inform future regulatory changes affecting traditional tobacco products as well as emerging nicotine categories.
Tag: EU
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EU Tobacco Scale Doesn’t Always Add Up
The latest European Tobacco Control Scale released by public health researchers, ranked Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France at the top, based on criteria such as taxation policies, broad smoking restrictions, comprehensive advertising bans, and greater investment in cessation and prevention programs. Mid-ranked countries such as Germany and Austria were docked for partial policy coverage across key tobacco control measures, while Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina were at the bottom, criticized for less strict regulations, tobacco industry influence, and not fully investing in World Health Organization best practices.
However, the ranking does not always correspond directly with smoking prevalence outcomes across Europe. While the U.K. and the Netherlands earned their lofty rankings with smoking rates of 10.6% and 11% respectively, top-ranked Ireland has a smoking rate of 17%, with France checking in at 18.2%, both higher than last-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina with an estimated smoking rate as low as 15.5% according to the Tobacco Atlas 2025 estimate. Switzerland’s smoking rate is 20%, Austria’s is as high as 21%, while Germany’s is as high as 24%.
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Report: New 15% Tobacco Tax One of Five Streams EU Considering
Reuters reported that the European Union is discussing five new revenue streams that would help fund its seven-year budget, allowing for new priorities like defense and competitiveness and service joint debt, while limiting cuts to agriculture and regional aid.
The proposed streams for 2028-2034 are an emissions trading system, a carbon border adjustment mechanism levy, a non-collected electronic waste tax, a corporate resource for Europe levy, and a tobacco excise duty. The tobacco tax would be a new 15% uniform call-rate tobacco duty, paid by EU member states from national budgets, which would bring in an estimated €11.2 billion a year, the Commission says.
By a vote of 370-201, EU’s parliament voted to increase its budget 1.26%, increasing total spending to about €1.94 trillion.
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Cyprus Compromise May Solve EU Tobacco Impasse
International Policy Digest is reporting that a new compromise proposal from Cyprus may help break the long-standing deadlock among EU member states over revising the Tobacco Excise Directive, which has not been updated since 2011. The European Commission’s 2025 proposal sought to raise minimum excise duties and extend taxation to newer products such as heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, but faced strong opposition from several countries concerned about market disruption and illicit trade.
The Cyprus proposal retains higher taxes and broader product coverage but introduces a more gradual approach, including transition periods for implementation and limits on automatic inflation-linked increases. It also offers more flexibility for member states in applying taxes to newer nicotine products, addressing key concerns raised in earlier negotiations that stalled progress.
Initial reactions from EU governments suggest cautious support for the revised approach, though unanimous agreement from all 27 member states remains required. The outcome is time-sensitive, as failure to reach a deal during Cyprus’s presidency could shift negotiations to Ireland, where officials are expected to push for stricter tax measures.
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EU Smoking Rate Drops 4% Since 2012
The European Commission reported that smoking prevalence across the European Union is currently 24% as it released an evaluation of the bloc’s tobacco control framework on April 2, down slightly from 28% in 2012. The review assessed the performance of the Tobacco Products Directive and the Tobacco Advertising Directive, citing progress in public health protection, reduced tobacco-related deaths, and improved internal market functioning through harmonized rules on labeling, ingredient reporting, packaging, traceability, and cross-border advertising restrictions.
The evaluation also flagged gaps in current legislation amid the rapid growth of novel nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, which the Commission said pose particular risks for youth and may act as a gateway to nicotine addiction. While traditional advertising has been curtailed, digital and covert online promotion remains a challenge. Based on the findings, the Commission will begin an impact assessment and consultations ahead of a planned proposal in 2026 to revise the EU’s tobacco control laws.
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EU HTP Report Seen as Harm Reduction Obstacle
Heated Community Hub has voiced strong concern over the approach taken by the European Commission in its recent evaluation report on the EU tobacco regulatory framework. According to the group, the document is heavily unbalanced in its assessment of next-generation products — particularly heated tobacco — focusing almost exclusively on potential risks while failing to adequately acknowledge reduced-risk considerations or the experiences of adult consumers who have reduced or quit smoking traditional cigarettes by switching to alternatives.
Francesco Luongo, president of Heated Community Hub, said the EU risks undermining its own “Tobacco-Free Generation” goal of reducing tobacco use to below 5% by 2040 by applying policies that could affect alternative products indiscriminately. Citing Sweden’s decline in daily smoking to 5.3% in 2024 compared with an EU average of 24%, Luongo argued that a more pragmatic approach is needed to avoid pushing former smokers back to combustible products or fueling illicit trade.
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EU Approves Bulgaria’s Vape Ban
The European Commission approved Bulgaria’s legislation banning the marketing, sale, and distribution of disposable e-cigarettes, triggering a three-month phase-out period for existing products on the market. The decision, issued under the EU Tobacco Products Directive framework, concludes that the measure is justified, necessary, and proportionate to protect public health, particularly in response to rising youth vaping rates. Bulgarian authorities cited data showing that one in four students aged 13–15 use vapes, alongside concerns over youth-targeted product design, nicotine-related health risks, and environmental harm from disposable devices.
With the approval in place, Bulgaria will proceed with implementation, requiring retailers to clear inventory within the transition period or remove products from sale, with the option to export remaining stock. The move follows similar actions by other EU countries and reflects growing regional momentum toward stricter regulation of disposable e-cigarettes as policymakers seek to curb underage use and limit nicotine addiction among younger populations.
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EU Suspects ‘Coordinated’ Interference in Tobacco Tax Feedback
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.
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EU to Tighten Cross-Border Tobacco, Alcohol Limits?
Several EU member states have proposed tightening single-market rules on the personal import of tobacco products, as part of discussions on revising the Tobacco Taxation Directive (TED), according to Euractiv. Denmark, which holds the EU Council presidency, floated the idea in early December, suggesting stricter limits on cross-border tobacco imports under Article 32 of the Excise Duty Directive, alongside more moderate tax increases. The move aims to curb cross-border shopping that undermines high-tax anti-smoking policies in countries such as France.
Currently, individuals can import up to 800 cigarettes for personal use. A number of countries, including France, Germany, Finland, and Estonia, have expressed openness to lowering this threshold, with some also supporting limits on alternative tobacco products like heated tobacco.
The European Commission has been cautious, indicating that changes to Article 32 may fall outside the scope of the TED. Some member states have also noted that the rules apply to alcohol as well, prompting calls from countries such as Finland, Estonia, and Germany to extend any revisions to alcoholic beverages.
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EU Document Leak Raises Questions Over COP11 Push
According to The European Times, industry observers are questioning the EU’s conduct at the WHO’s COP11 meeting after a leaked document showed Brussels pushing for far stricter language on novel nicotine products than member states had approved.
“A leaked internal document later revealed that EU officials had encouraged the delegation to support language promoting prohibitions or strict limitations on all novel nicotine products,” the article said. “Once the document circulated among delegations, several member states described the situation as a procedural breach and questioned whether the Commission and the Danish EU Council Presidency were attempting to secure outcomes in Geneva that lacked consensus among governments at home.”
WHO officials and aligned NGOs advocated sweeping restrictions on vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, including flavor limits, packaging rules, environmental mandates, and broader liability tools. According to the leaked text, EU officials privately urged support for prohibitions or severe limits on manufacturing, import, sale, and use of all emerging nicotine products—despite such wording having been removed from the EU’s formal mandate during internal negotiations.
Many of the most restrictive COP11 proposals were ultimately scaled back or made voluntary, with broader measures postponed to COP12 in 2027. However, the controversy has intensified scrutiny over the EU’s role within WHO processes and the transparency of its negotiations on nicotine policy, according to The European Times.