Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Hungary

27th February 2025: Hungary: The Ministry of Construction and Transport has opened a draft decree for consultation that would allow tobacco retailers and wholesalers to present factual information to consumers on the characteristics of new tobacco and nicotine products in limited circumstances, provided that the description does not become a form of advertising. The presentation of the characteristics would need to be done within tobacco shops or through electronic channels for pre-registered consumers. The wholesaler would need to notify the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SARA) of the product information that would be presented to consumers as well as the method 15 days before commencement of the activity. Tobacco retailers would be allowed to receive gifts, discounts, allowances and other benefits from the wholesaler in connection with the presentation and description of the product to consumers. The consultation runs until 4th March 2025.
20th December 2024: Hungary: New excise rates for heated tobacco products (HTPs), herbal heated sticks and nicotine pouches will enter into force on 1st January 2025, following the publication of amendments to the Excise Duty Law in November 2024. For HTPs and herbal heated sticks, the applicable excise duty will increase from HUF35 (€0.08) per stick to HUF38 (€0.09) per stick. For nicotine pouches, the tax will increase from HUF25,960 (€63) per kg to HUF28,060 (€68) per kg.
3rd December 2024: Hungary: The law amending the Excise Tax Law to increase the applicable tax on heated tobacco consumables and herbal heated sticks from HUF35 (€0.085) to HUF38 (€0.092) per stick and to increase the tax on nicotine pouches from HUF25,960 (€63) to HUF28,060 (€68) per kg has been published in the Official Gazette. The new rates will enter into force on the 1st January 2025.
28th November 2024: Hungary: The parliament has passed the bill amending the Excise Tax Law to increase the applicable tax on heated tobacco consumables and herbal heated sticks from HUF35 (€0.085) to HUF38 (€0.092) per stick and to increase the tax on nicotine pouches from HUF25,960 (€63) to HUF28,060 (€68) per kg. If the bill is signed by the president, the new rates will enter into force on 1st January 2025.
4th November 2024: Hungary: The Ministry of Finance has introduced a bill to the parliament that would increase the applicable tax on heated tobacco and herbal heated sticks from HUF35 (€0.086) per stick to HUF38 (€0.093) per stick, and the tax on nicotine pouches from HUF25,960 (€64) per kg to HUF28,060 (€69) per kg.
17th June 2024: Hungary: The bill notified to the European Commission back in August 2023 through the EU TRIS notification system – which sought to regulate nicotine pouches, including product restrictions, notification and labelling requirements – was published in the Official Gazette on 10th June 2024 and will enter into force on 25th June 2024. The new provisions for nicotine pouches include a ban on additives listed in Annex 4 of government decree 39/2013, a limit of 17 mg of nicotine per pouch, the requirement of a health warning, and a maximum capacity of 20 pouches per box. The bill also introduces notification requirements and product restrictions for herbal heated products.
7th March 2024: Hungary: The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Activities (SARA) has provided TobaccoIntelligence with the sales volumes of heated tobacco products (HTPs), herbal heated products (HHPs) and nicotine pouches for last year. From 1st January to 31st December 2023, 3bn sticks of heated tobacco, 2.9m herbal heated sticks and 27,900 kg of nicotine pouches were sold nationwide. The amounts of heated tobacco sticks and nicotine pouches sold in Hungary have increased significantly in the last few years: in 2021, the amount of heated tobacco sticks sold was 1.6bn sticks, and the figure in 2022 was 2.6bn sticks. For nicotine pouches, the amount sold in 2021 was 8,200 kg, and in 2022 it was 16,009 kg.
31st January 2024: Hungary: In a statement issued yesterday (30th January) raising concerns over the widespread use and illegal sale of flavoured vaping products in the country, the Public Health Institute said that "e-cigarettes and new types of products are capable of causing nicotine addiction to the same extent as traditional cigarettes, and regular use has been proven to increase the likelihood of becoming addicted to traditional cigarettes".
9th January 2024: Hungary: Amendments to the law on the protection of non-smokers and the consumption and distribution of tobacco products were published in the Official Gazette last month to make nicotine pouches subject to the EU common product notification requirement. Nicotine pouches already in circulation must be notified by 28th February 2024.
8th August 2023: Hungary: The government yesterday notified the European Commission via the TRIS notification system of a bill that would regulate nicotine pouches, including product restrictions, notification and labelling requirements. These would include a ban on additives listed in Annex 4 of Government Decree 39/2013, a limit of 17 mg of nicotine per pouch, an obligation for manufacturers and importers to notify products before placing them on the market, the requirement of a health warning, and a maximum capacity of 20 pouches per box.
7th July 2023: Hungary: Amendments to the government decree on the production, distribution and control of tobacco products, on combined warnings, and healthcare penalties were published in the Official Gazette yesterday, 6th July. The amendments transpose the EU-wide heated tobacco flavour ban set out in Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100. Heated tobacco products will still be considered smokeless tobacco products in Hungary. The provisions will enter into force on 23rd October 2023.
23rd June 2023: Hungary: The government has published a draft decree seeking to transpose the EU-wide heated tobacco flavour ban set out in Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100. Heated tobacco products would still be considered smokeless tobacco products, thus their health warning requirements would not change.

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