European NGOs denounce interference by certain states in the regulation of nicotine pouches

In a column published in Le Monde[1], the Alliance Against Tobacco and nine European organizations, including the National Committee Against Smoking, are warning of the role played by several European Union member states that, under the influence of the tobacco industry, are opposing national bans on nicotine pouches. This blockage is hampering regulatory efforts at a time when these highly addictive products are increasingly targeting young people, according to the associations.

At a time when younger generations are being targeted by these addictive products, it is imperative that the European Union reaffirm its ambition in the fight against smoking. As the article points out, "It is essential that Member States prioritize the public interest over the financial interest of this deadly industry."

A strategy of industrial conquest under the guise of innovation

The rise of nicotine pouches in the EU illustrates the tobacco industry's constant adaptability, seeking to maintain profitability by renewing its offerings and consumers. Presented as innovative, tobacco-free, and supposedly reduced-risk products, these new devices are introduced to the market with ambiguous marketing positioning, straddling the lines between well-being, performance, and health. In reality, these products are highly addictive and specifically designed to appeal to new audiences, particularly adolescents and young adults.

The innovation being advanced by the industry is not driven by public health objectives, but by commercial logic. These products are intended to allow these companies to circumvent existing tobacco product laws by taking advantage of legal gray areas or practicing fait accompli. By positioning themselves in a "combustion-free" or "tobacco-free" marketing segment and ignoring nicotine regulations, manufacturers free themselves from regulatory obligations (such as graphic health warnings, bans on advertising or sales to minors) and more easily penetrate new markets.

Furthermore, by investing massively in the research and design of these products, cigarette manufacturers are enhancing their image as a "responsible company" and "risk reduction player," even while systematically refusing to make public the complete toxicological data on their products. This double standard confuses consumers and undermines prevention, particularly among young people who perceive these products as more acceptable, even harmless.

The proliferation of flavors, attractive packaging, and social media campaigns reinforce this conquest strategy. These are marketing tactics long implemented by this industry: seduce through packaging and taste, build loyalty through nicotine addiction. Thus, tobacco manufacturers are not seeking to get smokers off tobacco, but to keep them addicted and recruit new consumers.[2].

A coalition of states serving industrialists

The "detailed opinion" mechanism provided for by European Directive 2015/1535 allows European Union member states to comment on or challenge draft regulations from another state when they believe they could create obstacles to the free movement of goods. This is a tool for transparency and dialogue that some countries are now using to protect the economic interests of the tobacco industry at the expense of public health.

Following France's notification of its proposed ban on oral nicotine products (excluding therapeutic substitutes) in February 2025, six Member States issued detailed opinions, including Romania, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. These interventions have the effect of delaying the measure's entry into force by three months, weakening its immediate impact. Similar actions had already been observed in the Spanish, Danish, and Belgian notifications aimed at regulating or banning these same products.

These convergent oppositions are not accidental. They mainly come from countries that have seen massive investments from tobacco multinationals in recent years, particularly in the field of new nicotine products. For example, Philip Morris International (PMI) has invested €1 billion in a production plant in Bologna, Italy, and nearly €700 million in Greece since 2017. British American Tobacco, for its part, has opened an "innovation center" in Trieste in 2023, for a total of €500 million.

European revision blocked due to conflicts of interest

As tobacco and nicotine products evolve rapidly, European regulatory frameworks are struggling to keep pace with this transformation. The revision of the main European directives governing the sale, taxation, and advertising of tobacco and nicotine products—including the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Taxation Directive—is currently at an impasse.

This situation is largely attributable to the tobacco industry's persistent influence in the European Union's institutional machinery. Despite repeated warnings from civil society and public health stakeholders, several Member States consistently resist the initiation of these legislative projects, slowing down or even blocking any ambitious regulatory initiative at the European level. The authors of this article thus highlight how a minority of Member States "in the service" of tobacco manufacturers manage to block the democratic process and thwart the general interest.

The direct effect of these blockages is to maintain a worrying legal vacuum surrounding new tobacco and nicotine products, particularly nicotine pouches. These products, whose consumption is exploding among young people, largely escape current European standards. In the absence of political consensus, the texts remain unchanged, leaving Member States alone to face a structured, aggressive, and transnational industry.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Tribune, Tobacco: "EU member states are using their political influence to defend the interests of the industry", Le Monde, published July 2, 2025, consulted the same day

[2] Tobacco-free generation, Decryption - Nicotine pouches: British American Tobacco's illegal marketing offensive in France, published March 18, 2025, accessed July 2, 2025