EU tobacco policy
Follow EU institutions, tobacco and nicotine legislation, and cross-border policy debates. Our coverage separates proposals, negotiations and adopted measures; national stories appear here when an EU dimension is substantial.
Countries →Policy context
The Tobacco Products Directive covers the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products, including e-cigarettes. The Commission records that it became applicable in May 2016. Consult the official framework alongside our reporting: a proposal to change a rule is not the same as a rule already in force.
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EXCLUSIVE: Spain to block Tobacco Tax Directive, calling for lower rates on rolling tobacco.
Spain’s demand for a lower tax rate on rolling tobacco threatens agreement on the EU’s proposed tobacco tax directive.
A story of two consultations: picking apart the Commission’s summary report
Peter Beckett examines what the European Commission’s summary of its nicotine consultations leaves out — and why the design of the questions matters.
A European House Divided
While a TPD Revision Compromise Looks Impossible, Brussels is Walking into a Trust and Credibility Crisis
8 EU countries call for "market freeze" on all nicotine products
Eight EU countries have called for a “market freeze”, banning all new products containing any form of nicotine or substances “with nicotine like properties” from entering Europe, according to a letter sent to EU Commissioner Oliver Varheyli and published by the Dutch government.
Dutch minister wants vaping as expensive as smoking under new tax plan
The Dutch government is preparing a new excise duty on vaping products that could make vaping about as expensive as smoking.
EU Nicotine Consultations: The Value of 120,000 Lived Experiences
More than 120,000 responses were submitted to the EU’s tobacco and nicotine consultations. David Zaruk argues that policymakers should listen to the lived experiences of people who quit smoking and the businesses helping them.
