Twelve EU Member States have formally called on the European Commission to urgently revise Europe’s key tobacco legislation, highlighting significant delays that put the continent’s public health goals at risk.
In a letter addressed to EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi on 21 March, the Health ministers of the Netherlands together with Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain, have expressed their deep concern over the lack of progress in updating critical tobacco control laws: the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), the EU Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD), and the EU Tobacco Taxation Directive.
Despite commitments made by the European Commission under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (BCP) in 2021, which envisioned a “Tobacco-Free Generation” by 2040, the review process for these directives remains stalled.
The co-signatories stress that the growing use of new nicotine products, particularly electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches among young people, demands swift legislative adaptation, especially when it comes to plain packaging, flavour restrictions, cross-border online sales, and promotion on social media platforms.
Escalating pressure from Member States for urgent action on tobacco control
The letter marks a clear escalation of pressure from Member States towards the Commission, reflecting a shared concern that the current regulatory framework is poorly equipped to address the challenges posed by novel tobacco and nicotine products, and fails to protect people from these harmful commercial determinants of health.
For patient organisations like the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA), the delays in the legislative review not only jeopardise the EU’s tobacco-free targets but also allow the market for harmful new products to expand.
Evidence is growing that novel products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches are harmful to lung health. Studies have linked their use to increased asthma and allergy rates, a decline in lung function and a heightened risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
To say more, these products are often wrongly presented as a gateway to traditional smoking, especially among young people who might not have otherwise taken up smoking. The resulting nicotine addiction can lead to dual use or a transition to conventional cigarettes, perpetuating cycles of dependence and ill-health.
EFA’s position: stronger legislation for a healthier Europe
The concerns raised by the 12 Member States closely align with EFA’s long-standing calls for a more robust EU tobacco control framework. EFA has consistently advocated for:
- Mandatory plain packaging across all EU Member States to maximise public health benefits
- Uniform regulation of all tobacco and nicotine products, ensuring that restrictions on characterising flavours apply equally to new and traditional products
- A revision of the Tobacco Advertising Directive to explicitly ban the promotion and marketing of novel products, particularly through social media and other digital platforms
A wake up call for swift action for a generation
The tobacco epidemic remains one of Europe’s most urgent health threats. Accelerated, ambitious reforms are necessary to achieve a tobacco-free Europe and safeguard the health of millions. EFA and its patient community remain committed to working with national authorities and EU institutions to ensure stronger tobacco control measures.
Refer to EFA’s work on EU consultations on the evaluation of the EU legislative framework for tobacco control on our website:
- June 2022: EFA response to call for evidence
- May 2023: EFA response to the questionnaire and statement
- July 2023: EFA response to targeted survey
- December 2023: EFA patient recommendations for the review of the EU tobacco legislation