Regulatory report: Croatia – HnB, oral tobacco and nicotine pouches, March 2022

Broad regulation of heated tobacco, including taxation, looks set to remain unchanged in Croatia for the presently foreseeable future. This stability could encourage growth in the market.

Heated tobacco products are regulated by the Law on Restriction of Tobacco and Related Products of May 2017, which transposed the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) into national law. This legislation takes a stringent approach to heated tobacco, making it equivalent to conventional tobacco products in respect to retail, advertising and public usage.

In addition, the Electronic Media Act bans the advertising of tobacco products on TV, radio, the internet, and other audiovisual media, while the Excise Duties Act covers the excise tax on heated tobacco consumables.

The government has not revealed any plans to introduce a special framework for nicotine pouches or to legalise snus.