LATEST ALERTS
View allAlternative tobacco and nicotine products in Germany
News analysis
Regulatory news and updates from the industry
Market reports
Full-length in-depth reports with detailed data and analysis for individual markets around the world
Regulatory reports
Detailed legal reports outlining industry regulation, analysis of the laws, and pertinent organisations
Market data
All of our heated tobacco and related products databases downloadable in Excel format
Regulatory data
Our full regulatory tracking databases including tax, proposed bills, etc.
New trial available: Click on any alert below and access our regulatory alerts and get timely notifications sent to your inbox for 7 days.
Alerts
Our legal experts track the evolving regulation around the tobacco alternatives sector on a daily basis. These alerts are then compiled into our Monthly Round-up section.
16th February 2023
Germany: The federal government has approved a draft third amendment to the Tobacco Products Act, which will transpose into national law the flavour ban for heated tobacco products imposed by EU Directive 2022/2100. The draft will now be submitted to the Bundestag. Kristine Lütke of the government-coalition Free Democratic Party told reporters the amended law should also cover nicotine pouches. “A high level of consumer protection can be guaranteed with a differentiated regulation of the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco-free nicotine pouches,” she said.
27th January 2023
- Germany: The federal drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert, has called for stricter rules on the advertising of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, press reports. Blienert said that the products should be banned from social media, the internet, TV and radio. For e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in particular, he supported a ban on colourful advertising at kiosks, supermarkets and fuel stations.
20th January 2023
- Germany: The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) presented a third amendment to the Tobacco Products Law draft, which will transpose the flavour ban for heated tobacco products imposed by EU Directive 2022/2100. The draft has not yet been sent to Parliament.
10th January 2023
- Germany: Following a small inquiry made by MP Simone Borchardt from the opposition CSU/CDU party, asking about how the federal government assesses nicotine-free pouches as a harm reduction product, the federal government answered that the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is currently conducting an evaluation of the study done by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on nicotine pouches.
10th January 2023
- Germany: As of 1st January 2023, heated tobacco tax increased. Heated tobacco tax consists of a combination of the tax rate for pipe tobacco (€0.88) and an additional amount of €2.01 based on a pack with a value of €6.
9th December 2022
- Germany: According to a survey held by the Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the largest biomedical research institute in Germany, more than three quarters of participants would like neither e-cigarettes nor heated tobacco to be used in non-smoking areas. The research centre is demanding that federal and state governments include both products in their non-smoker protection laws.
28th November 2022
- Germany: The federal government has introduced the Disposable Plastic Fund Bill, in which manufacturers of single-use plastic must pay an annual fee into a central fund administered by the Federal Environment Agency. The fee will depend on the quantity of single-use plastic products made available. The products affected include tobacco products containing filters with plastic, and heated tobacco devices that have single-use plastic may also be affected. If approved, the first fee will be paid in 2025.
16th November 2022
Germany: Following a meeting last week when members of the Bundestag discussed a smoking cessation study financed by the Federal Joint Committee, the body responsible for determining what medical care is covered by statutory health insurance, one of the study team has told TobaccoIntelligence that heated tobacco will be given to participants as a harm reduction product. The study has four stages: psychological counselling, nicotine replacement therapy, smoking cessation medication, and harm reduction products.
10th October 2022
- Germany: The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has released an updated risk assessment report about nicotine pouches. Using 44 samples, the authority concluded that nicotine pouch use causes higher blood pressure, in a similar range if compared with conventional cigarette consumption. In terms of harm minimisation, it also states that switching from cigarettes to nicotine pouches could result in a reduced health risk for a person who smokes. Nicotine pouches are regulated as novel food and cannot be placed on the market.
30th August 2022
Germany: The president of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, and the Association of Health Insurance Companies have criticised the financial package presented by health minister Karl Lauterbach to increase statutory health insurance contributions, media reports. The two associations say the increase could be avoided by using part of the excise revenue from tobacco and alcohol to support the health system. Heated tobacco has been specifically taxed in Germany since the start of the year.
23rd August 2022
Germany: A study by scientists from the Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) has concluded that specific regulation for tobacco-free nicotine pouches is advisable, including nicotine limits and labelling requirements. The researchers said that although nicotine pouches “may potentially be a reduced risk alternative for cigarette smokers or users of some other oral tobacco products, nicotine contents of some pouches were alarmingly high”.
