Eight EU countries call for a ban on new nicotine products and flavors

Brussels –A ban on new nicotine products entering the market, a wide-ranging ban on flavors, and the option for Member States to ban nicotine pouches. This is the approach that eight EU countries are calling for in the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and of the Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD). In a letter sent to Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia and Spain are calling for the European regulatory framework to be enabled to keep pace with market developments.

The stated aim is to prevent the tobacco industry from continuing to introduce new products by relying on marketing strategies and claims of reduced risk. The eight governments are therefore calling for a ban on the entry into the EU of any new product containing nicotine, substances with properties similar to nicotine, or devices designed to deliver them. The ban is also expected to cover nicotine-free products designed to resemble those containing nicotine. 

The review should then address the appeal of existing products, with maximum nicotine limits, a broad ban on flavors, standardised products and devices, and plain packaging. The call is for the same rules to apply to all authorised categories, to prevent consumers from simply switching from one product to another. 

The stance on nicotine pouches is particularly strict. The eight states are calling for strengthening the European ban on oral tobacco and for allowing individual countries to adopt stricter national measures, up to a total ban on nicotine pouches. Online sales and promotion are also in the firing line: the document calls for a ban on advertising for all nicotine products, including devices and influencer- and creator-shared content on social media.

The crackdown could also extend to cross-border online sales, which are seen as a loophole that undermines certain national policies. The signatories are calling on the Commission to take action to ban cross-border distance sales within the EU.

 Lastly, the review should also incorporate environmental considerations, in line with the One Health approach, while leaving Member States the option to introduce national bans, including on disposable e-cigarettes. The ultimate objective set out in the letter is to support the “smoke-free generation” by 2040 and, more generally, to overcome nicotine dependence in the EU.