EU Commission faces rising pressure to tax vapes and nicotine pouches

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

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 Citing wellness concerns, nan ministers said nan existing legislative model is outdated.

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

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

However, nan connection has still not been published, overmuch to nan interest of wellness experts.

"We spot that because these products are not taxed decently successful nan EU — immoderate countries are not taxing them aliases hardly imposing taxes — they became very accessible and not conscionable to adults, but to children. And that's nan logic why revision of nan directive is urgent now," said Lilia Olefir, Director of nan Smoke Free Partnership.

The latest European School Survey Project connected Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), published astatine nan 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 lead to semipermanent antagonistic impacts connected encephalon development, arsenic good arsenic addiction.

Call to action

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

Last week, 15 finance and system ministers wrote to von der Leyen, calling connected nan EU Commission president to "take nan basal steps to update nan directive".

In response, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who is responsible for taxation, expressed dream that nan rules would soon beryllium changed.

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

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

"These taxes are basal because they consequence successful higher prices, which intends that nan products are little affordable and little accessible," said Olefir. "Right now, group tin bargain disposable vape for astir 8 euros, and nicotine pouches are besides rather accessible."

Some EU countries person successful nan meantime taken their ain measures to target these products. Belgium, for example, became nan first successful Europe to ban nan waste of disposable vapes successful 2025.

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

Scrutinising proposal

Hoekstra told MEPs that he hoped nan caller taxation connection would beryllium adopted by nan summer.

However, nan connection requires unanimity, which seems a agelong measurement off.

The scheme has ample support 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 for illustration Italy, Greece and Romania, which person little taxation levels, are against immoderate changes to nan existent rules. They person besides made important investments successful nan baccy sector.

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

Dustin Dahlmann, nan chair of nan Independent European Vape Alliance, claimed that introducing taxes would not thief protect young people. Instead, he based on that fines should beryllium accrued for group trading to minors.

"The taxation will make nan products much charismatic for achromatic marketplace dealers and these kinds of group and businesses don't attraction astir protecting nan minors," he said.

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