Market & legal data of the tobacco alternative sector in Europe

17th January 2025: Poland: The Ministry of Health has made public a draft bill that regulates nicotine pouches. The draft extends the country’s tobacco restrictions to nicotine pouches by classifying them as related products. It also prohibits their sale to under-18s and sale through vending machines or online. Furthermore, the draft aims to ban nicotine pouches with flavours other than tobacco and subject them to a maximum nicotine content limit of 20 mg/g. Although minister of health Izabela Leszczyna said in October 2024 that she aimed to ban synthetic nicotine pouches, the draft bill has not included such a measure. It is uncertain whether a future bill will include the ban.
17th January 2025: Finland: The new government’s draft proposal to amend the Tobacco Act to regulate nicotine pouches is facing criticism during the comments procedure, media reports. The amendment would permit menthol and mint flavours. However, commentators argue that these flavours could attract young people. In addition, several commentators believe the proposed nicotine limit of 16.6 mg/g should be reduced to 4 mg/g.
16th January 2025: Russia: The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted a governmental decree proposing to ban the sale of nicotine-containing products – including e-liquids, disposable e-cigarettes and heated tobacco consumables – sold at a price below the minimum sale price from 1st September 2025. The proposed decree aims to block sales at the checkout, and the operator of the state information system would refuse to accept documents for labelling goods for the turnover of nicotine-containing products if the actual selling price was lower than the minimum price calculated according to the law, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said.
16th January 2025: EU: New commissioner for health and animal safety Olivér Várhelyi has outlined his policy priorities for his five-year mandate. While not explicitly addressing tobacco and nicotine products, Várhelyi has said that he will set preventive health as a priority in his mandate, and will intend to create a European Cardiovascular Health Plan, “similar to the Beating Cancer Plan but even more operational”.
15th January 2025: EU: Cypriot member of the European Parliament (MEP) Loucas Fourlas, from the European People's Party Group (centre-right), has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission (EC) asking for its view on the dangers that e-cigarettes pose to public health, and whether the Commission intends to take action to establish a uniform European framework to regulate electronic cigarettes.
14th January 2025: Italy: The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has updated the lists of retail prices and excise duties for heated tobacco consumables and herbal heated products (HHPs).
14th January 2025: Greece: The Ministry of Health has updated the list of notified tobacco products. The list contains herbal heated products, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, among others.
13th January 2025: Germany: The Greens (centre-left), currently in the ruling coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Germany, has recently published its Government Programme 2025. In it, the party pledges to ban flavours in electronic cigarettes. The Greens currently rank fourth in election polls.
13th January 2025: Germany: The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD, centre-left), currently in the ruling coalition, has published its election manifesto ahead of the 23rd February 2025 elections. In it, the party advocates for stricter regulations, advertising restrictions and age limits for disposable e-cigarettes and new types of nicotine products. The party also wants to raise awareness of the products' dangers with educational campaigns and preventive measures in schools. The SPD is currently ranked third in election polls.
10th January 2025: Czech Republic: The State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority has updated the list of notified tobacco products and their ingredients.
10th January 2025: Ukraine: The Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine) has asked president Zelenskyy to sign a bill to change the excise taxes on tobacco and related products, which was sent for signature on 9th December 2024, media reports. If signed, it would introduce new excise tax rates for tobacco and related products from 1st January 2028, taking into account the minimum level determined by the EU Tobacco Tax Directive (2011/64/EU), and the euro would be introduced as the monetary unit for the tax rate on such products. Starting from 1st January 2028, heated tobacco would be taxed at a rate of €72 per 1,000 pieces, other products intended for inhalation without burning (we assume this would cover herbal heated products) at a rate of €85 per kg, and nicotine-containing products for oral use (nicotine pouches) at a rate of €85 per kg. Until that date, heated tobacco would be taxed at €70.4 per 1,000 pieces in 2025, €70.8 in 2026 and €71.14 in 2027; other products intended for inhalation without burning would be taxed at a rate of €73 per kg in 2025, €77 in 2026 and €81 in 2027; and nicotine-containing products for oral use would be taxed at a rate of €73 per kg in 2025, €77 in 2026 and €81 in 2027.
9th January 2025: EU: Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP) Afroditi Latinopoulou, of the right-wing Patriots for Europe group, has submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission raising concerns over the compatibility of the recently approved revision of the 2009 Council recommendation on smoke-free environments with the fundamental right to individual freedom. Latinopoulou asked whether the Commission has looked at alternative approaches, such as educational programmes or incentives to quit smoking to achieve similar results without restricting individual freedoms, and how the Commission plans to ensure a balance between protecting public health and respecting individual freedoms in the context of its tobacco control policy.

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