Tobacco and nicotine: persistent disagreements at the European level

The publication of the evaluation of the European Tobacco Control Framework comes amid a review of public health policies across the European Union. While the results achieved in reducing smoking are generally acknowledged, European institutions are highlighting the limitations of a system designed for traditional products, which is now facing rapid market transformation. This dynamic is part of a political sequence marked by contrasting positions among public health actors, Member States, and economic stakeholders regarding regulatory developments and their health and economic implications.[1]-[2].

An executive facing changes in the nicotine products market

The European Commission's assessment highlights that policies implemented since the adoption of the Tobacco Products Directive have contributed to a decrease in smoking prevalence in the European Union, from 28 per 100,000 people to 24 per 100,000 people over the last decade.[3]. This decrease is very relative, as the region is not reaching its reduction targets and remains heavily influenced by a powerful lobby that alters public policies.

This mixed record is all the more problematic as the market is characterized by a diversification of products, electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco, nicotine sachets, as well as by the rise of digital marketing strategies which have profoundly changed consumer behavior, without being fully covered by the existing framework.

In response to these developments, European institutions are moving towards a broader approach, aiming to encompass all products containing nicotine. This direction could translate into stronger regulations concerning flavorings, advertising, packaging, and taxation, in order to better address current public health challenges.

Fault lines between public health and economic considerations

The prospect of a revision of the European framework is accompanied by differentiated positions between public health actors and economic stakeholders, reflecting divergent orientations regarding the evolution of regulations.

Public health and civil society organizations, such as the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), the Smoke Free Partnership (SFP), the European Respiratory Society, and the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT), advocate for stronger measures applicable to all nicotine products. They emphasize the need to limit young people's exposure, reduce the appeal of these products, and more strictly regulate promotional strategies, particularly online. In this context, measures such as restricting flavors, expanding plain packaging, and strengthening advertising regulations are regularly put forward. The WHO also underlines the importance of a comprehensive approach to nicotine to prevent initiation and addiction.

Conversely, several organizations representing economic interests, such as the European Tobacco Growers Association and BusinessEurope, express reservations about stricter regulations. They highlight the potential consequences for employment, competitiveness, and value chains, particularly in tobacco-producing regions. Industry players, notably Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, advocate a differentiated approach based on product risk levels, promoting so-called "smoke-free" products and warning of the risk of parallel markets developing in the event of increased restrictions. This head-on clash between public health advocates and players in the tobacco industry is not surprising, as the interests of the tobacco industry have been recognized as fundamental and incompatible with those of public health.

Differences in approach between member states

These positions are also reflected at the Member State level. Some countries, including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, support stricter regulations applicable to all nicotine products, based on the principles of prevention and public health protection. This approach has resulted in national initiatives such as bans on disposable e-cigarettes, stricter restrictions on flavors, and measures to limit youth exposure, as well as a ban on nicotine pouches to prevent the uncontrolled proliferation of new products on the market.

Other Member States, such as Sweden, Greece, Romania, and Italy, highlight the potential role of new tobacco and nicotine products in smoking reduction strategies. Sweden, in particular, emphasizes the results achieved in reducing smoking rates, which it partly attributes to the use of alternative products like snus.

Moreover, some countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, which are also close to the tobacco industry, are expressing reservations about a uniform tightening of European regulations, highlighting the economic issues related to tobacco production, employment and tax revenues, as well as the risks of developing parallel circuits.

A revision that is expected in a context of regulatory delays.

The Commission's assessment marks the start of a review cycle intended to fundamentally change the European framework. However, the revision of the directives relating to tobacco products and advertising, initially expected since 2022, has been subject to several postponements, creating a gap with market developments.

This delay is regularly highlighted by public health actors, who believe that it has contributed to the spread of new products in an insufficiently regulated environment.

The ongoing work, including impact studies and consultations, should lead to the presentation of legislative proposals by the end of 2026, in a context of sustained debates between stakeholders and still strongly contrasting positions on the directions to be taken.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Colin Stevens, Brussels prepares sweeping reset of nicotine policy as battle lines harden, Euroreporter, published on April 8, 2026, accessed the same day

[2] Annachiara Magenta, The EU's crackdown on tobacco is dividing opinion: encouraging for some, but a risk to the economy for others, EU news, published on April 8, 2026, accessed the same day

[3] Tobacco Directive: A European assessment reveals an outdated framework, Tobacco-Free Generation, published on April 7, 2026, accessed the same day