EU Commission faces rising pressure to tax vapes and nicotine pouches

The EU is nether increasing unit to taxation vapes and nicotine pouches, with 15 concern and system ministers penning past week to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen astir the issue.

The missive was portion of a wider propulsion for the Commission to people the long-awaited Tobacco Taxation Directive (TTD). Citing wellness concerns, the ministers said the existing legislative model is outdated.

Since the rules were past updated successful 2011, caller nicotine products person flooded the market.

A revision to see caller baccy and nicotine products similar e-cigarettes and heated baccy was introduced arsenic portion of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan successful 2022.

However, the connection has inactive not been published, overmuch to the interest of wellness experts.

"We spot that due to the fact that these products are not taxed decently successful the EU — immoderate countries are not taxing them oregon hardly imposing taxes — they became precise accessible and not conscionable to adults, but to children. And that's the crushed wherefore revision of the directive is urgent now," said Lilia Olefir, Director of the Smoke Free Partnership.

The latest European School Survey Project connected Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), published astatine the extremity of May, reports a emergence successful wide regular rates of smoking and vaping among 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds from 7.9% successful 2019 to 14% successful 2024.

Studies person found children and adolescents' vulnerability to nicotine successful vaping solutions tin pb to semipermanent antagonistic impacts connected encephalon development, arsenic good arsenic addiction.

Call to action

Momentum for enactment is growing. In March 2025, a missive from 12 wellness ministers urged the Commission to re-visit each tobacco-related legislation, including taxation.

Last week, 15 concern and system ministers wrote to von der Leyen, calling connected the EU Commission president to "take the indispensable steps to update the directive".

In response, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who is liable for taxation, expressed anticipation that the rules would soon beryllium changed.

The caller directive would substantially rise taxes connected cigarettes, rotation your ain cigarettes and cigars.

It would besides for the archetypal clip present minimum excise taxation connected caller products including heated tobacco, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

"These taxes are cardinal due to the fact that they effect successful higher prices, which means that the products are little affordable and little accessible," said Olefir. "Right now, radical tin bargain disposable vape for astir 8 euros, and nicotine pouches are besides rather accessible."

Some EU countries person successful the meantime taken their ain measures to people these products. Belgium, for example, became the archetypal successful Europe to ban the merchantability of disposable vapes successful 2025.

The country's Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke described inexpensive vapes arsenic a wellness threat, which tin gully teenagers into smoking and get them hooked connected nicotine.

Scrutinising proposal

Hoekstra told MEPs that helium hoped the caller taxation connection would beryllium adopted by the summer.

However, the connection requires unanimity, which seems a agelong mode off.

The program has ample enactment successful wealthier countries, wherever excise taxes connected baccy and nicotine products are already comparatively high. Because of differences successful these rates, they are suffering from rising smuggling and cross-border trade.

Meanwhile, countries similar Italy, Greece and Romania, which person little taxation levels, are against immoderate changes to the existent rules. They person besides made important investments successful the baccy sector.

Organisations representing industries that would beryllium affected by the revised directive person besides criticised the existent proposal.

Dustin Dahlmann, the seat of the Independent European Vape Alliance, claimed that introducing taxes would not assistance support young people. Instead, helium argued that fines should beryllium accrued for radical selling to minors.

"The taxation volition marque the products much charismatic for achromatic marketplace dealers and these kinds of radical and businesses don't attraction astir protecting the minors," helium said.

"In the subordinate states wherever precocious taxes are successful place, it's fuelling the achromatic market. Minors are not amended protected present than successful different countries," helium added.