Health experts warn of the weakening of the European directive on tobacco excise duties

Several European public health and tobacco control organizations, united in the Smoke Free Partnership coalition, which includes the French National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), have sent an open letter to Cyprus, currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to raise concerns about the negotiations surrounding the future European directive on tobacco excise duties. They believe that the European Commission's initial proposal has already been significantly weakened under pressure from certain member states and the tobacco industry. Their concerns focus particularly on the minimum level of taxation, the mechanisms for indexing to inflation, and the implementation timelines for the new rules.