EU Reporter, a Brussels-based platform serving the tobacco industry

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized twenty different Zyn nicotine pouches, marketed by Swedish Match USA, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International (PMI), to carry a modified risk warning compared to cigarettes. This decision, subject to strict conditions and contested by leading American public health organizations, was the subject of an article published on August 31, 2026, by the Brussels-based media outlet EU Reporter, which used it as an argument for relaxing European regulations.

What the FDA has authorized, and under what conditions

The FDA order of June 30, 2026, covers twenty Zyn products, specifically ten flavors available in two nicotine strengths (3 mg and 6 mg). It authorizes a single, strictly defined formulation: «Using Zyn instead of cigarettes exposes you to a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.»[1].

The agency has attached several explicit limitations to this authorization. The designation applies only to smokers who completely quit smoking, and not to dual users. The manufacturer is required to conduct post-market surveillance studies focusing on user behavior and their understanding of risk information. The FDA reserves the right to revoke authorization if there is a significant increase in the use of these products by young people. Finally, it reiterates that this product is not risk-free and that people who do not currently use it should not start.

The decision sparked immediate objections. From the 1st^er In July 2026, the American Heart Association stated that such a decision empowers the tobacco industry to aggressively market these products and perpetuate nicotine addiction among children and adults. It also pointed out that nicotine pouches are now the second most commonly used tobacco product among American middle and high school students.[2]. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, approximately 460,000 high school students reported using tobacco in the past year. Several clinicians and researchers have warned of the risk of developing an addiction among young users, and they have also highlighted the periodontal and cardiovascular effects of nicotine.[3].

A partial and biased account of the decision by the EU Reporter

The article was published on August 31, 2026[4] The EU Reporter article by Colin Stevens makes no mention of any of the objections raised over the past two months by learned societies and American public health organizations, even though these positions have been widely reported in the mainstream and specialized press. Notably absent is the commentary[5] A joint brief was filed with the FDA on March 3, 2026, by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. This brief notes that the proportion of American middle and high school students who used nicotine pouches in the past 30 days doubled between 2021 and 2024, reaching 1.8%, that 77.6% of high school pouch users consume the Zyn brand, and that 86% of young users choose flavored varieties. The five organizations also challenge the scientific methodology used, arguing that Zyn's formulation relies on nicotine salts, whose addictive potential differs from that of fermented snus (containing tobacco), on which some of the presented data is based. They also point out that the study produced by the manufacturer shows no change in the intention to quit smoking before and after exposure to the modified risk statement.

The procedural controversy surrounding the decision is not addressed either. The meeting of the FDA's Scientific Advisory Committee on Tobacco Products, held on January 22, 2026, took place without a formal vote on the application, a practice contested by public health researchers with regard to the provisions of Section 911 of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.[6].

The EU Reporter article describes the US procedure as a significant regulatory precedent and a comprehensive process, while portraying the European situation as fragmented and lacking in legislation. The only non-institutional expert voice it cites is that of Clive Bates, a leading harm reduction advocate, who urges the European Commission to pay close attention to the process followed by the FDA. No opposing viewpoints are sought, even though the conclusion presents European legislators with a choice between risk-based regulation and uniform treatment of nicotine products.

The comparison drawn between the American decision and the European debate also highlights two distinct legal frameworks. The modified risk authorization falls under a marketing procedure specific to the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which has no regulatory force in the European Union. European law does not include an equivalent mechanism: Article 13 of Directive 2014/40/EU prohibits statements likely to create a false impression regarding health effects and expressly forbids claims suggesting health benefits.

A series of articles with a converging framework

Between March and August 2026, several other articles signed by Colin Stevens dealt with tobacco taxation, illicit trade and the regulation of nicotine products.

The report of March 23, 2026, on Belgian taxation is based on a study by Cimabel, the professional association of cigarette manufacturers in Belgium and Luxembourg, and quotes its president, Christine De Baets. It concludes that the tax increase fuels the black market, without any public health organization being consulted.[7]. The report of March 12, 2026, on illegal disposable e-cigarettes is based on a study by the Fraunhofer IIS Institute, published in September 2025 and commissioned by SKR AG, a business consulting firm based in Lucerne. Its recommendations reject a ban on disposable products, deemed unlikely to succeed, in favor of a European harmonization of authorization procedures, product standards, and tax regimes. Its dissemination relied on channels with identifiable connections: the website Clearing the Air, which republished it, indicates it has the support of the Consumer Choice Center, an organization whose funding from Japan Tobacco International, Philip Morris International, Altria, and British American Tobacco is documented. The EU Reporter article offers no counterpoint regarding health concerns.[8].

The article of June 5, 2026 on illicit trade refers to the twentieth edition of the KPMG study commissioned by Philip Morris Products SA and gives the floor to Christos Harpantidis, representative of PMI, as well as to Stefano Betti, deputy director general of the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT)[9] ; The reservations of public health organizations regarding industry-funded research are mentioned generically, without any being named.[10]. The one from June 6, 2026, concerning the Swedish veto on tax matters, is based solely on the statements of a Member of the European Parliament and presents the Swedish snus model as a public health success, without mentioning the scientific controversies surrounding it.[11].

Cases directly related to the conduct of the industry follow the same pattern. The article of May 12, 2026, on the controversy concerning scientific evidence, quotes a spokesperson for the Plataforma para la Reducción del Daño por Tabaquismo, a Spanish platform promoting harm reduction, as well as PMI's global communications director, Moira Gilchrist, without any anti-smoking organization being interviewed.[12]. The article dated July 3, 2026, concerning the artificial intelligence tool deployed by PMI to guide contributions to the European public consultation, reproduces two detailed statements from the company, including the claim that anti-tobacco lobbyists are seeking to discredit thousands of citizens, while criticisms from Dutch health organizations are reported indirectly, without an identified spokesperson or quote.[13].

EU Reporter: a well-documented editorial model designed to serve the tobacco industry

EU Reporter, published by EU Reporter Media & Communications Ltd (Dublin), presents itself as an independent media outlet dedicated to quality debate. Its output combines, according to Politico Europe's description and the encyclopedic entry for the site, corporate press releases, original articles, and paid content.[14]. In 2021, Politico Europe characterized this activity as European lobbying disguised as journalism, relying in particular on the site's marketing materials, whose slogan invites advertisers to use EU Reporter to exert influence, and noting the publication of articles paraphrasing Huawei press releases without clear mention of sponsorship. EU Reporter rejected these accusations in a response published on September 20, 2021, seeing them as a competitive maneuver, and indicated that it had requested an evaluation of its output by the organization NewsGuard.[15].

On the specific topic of tobacco, the media outlet TabakNee documented on September 18, 2025, the republication by EU Reporter of an open letter from 83 doctors and scientists advocating for differentiated taxation of nicotine products, presented as independent despite its initiator having documented links with the industry, and published without any contradictory statement.[16].

The role of specialist media in the European debate

The public consultation on the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive closed on August 14, 2026, and the European Commission announced a legislative initiative for December 2026. This consultation itself was the subject of a documented influence operation, with PMI deploying an artificial intelligence tool designed to facilitate the submission of contributions and guide their content.

Media outlets specializing in monitoring European institutions occupy a unique position in this process. Their readership is largely composed of policymakers, parliamentary staff, and interest representatives, and their publications circulate within the discussions leading up to the decision. As such, they contribute to shaping the framework within which a legislative proposal is debated.

This position calls for standard but crucial ethical requirements: multiple sources, identification of the sponsors of the cited studies, mention of conflicting viewpoints, and a clear distinction between editorial and commercial content. The articles examined report information, much of which is accurate and verifiable. However, presenting taxation as the primary driver of illicit trade, the Swedish model as an undisputed success, and harm reduction as a scientific fact ignored by European institutions, without giving equal weight to organizations that challenge these interpretations, amounts to presenting only one side of the debate. Above all, highlighting the industry's positions, in a climate of secrecy, ultimately aims to caricature the scientific positions and arguments of independent actors who oppose the manufacturers' interests.

For those involved in the fight against tobacco, this observation underscores the need to document the channels through which industry arguments are disseminated with the same rigor as the arguments themselves. Uncovering hidden interests is essential. Furthermore, it is crucial that public health positions and the general interest be central to the publications accompanying the revision of European directives.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] «FDA Authorizes 20 ZYN Nicotine Pouches to Be Marketed with Specific Modified Risk Claim», Food and Drug Administration, June 30, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026.

[2] Modified risk claim for 20 ZYN nicotine pouches risks perpetuating nicotine addiction, American Heart Association, July 1, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[3] As FDA approves new marketing for nicotine pouches, some doctors sound alarms, CBS News, July 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[4] Colin Stevens, US authorization of ZYN challenges the future of EU nicotine policy, EU Reporter, August 31, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[5] American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Comments on Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications for ZYN Nicotine Pouch Products, comment filed with the Food and Drug Administration, March 3, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026.

[6] Stanton Glantz, FDA broke the law when it did not allow TPSAC to vote on whether to allow PMI to make modified risk claims for ZYN, profglantz.com, February 2, 2026, accessed August 31, 202

[7] Colin Stevens, «Nearly half of the cigarettes consumed in Belgium avoid taxation: 3 billion euros of lost revenue», EU Reporter, March 23, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[8] Colin Stevens, «Illegal disposable vapes flooding Europe, new study warns», EU Reporter, March 12, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[9] This organization counts Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, and Japan Tobacco International among its members. Its Global Illicit Trade Index, published in 2018, was funded by PMI as the lead sponsor, with BAT and JTI also among the sponsors. Its executive director, Jeffrey Hardy, previously worked at the International Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has consistently produced reports favorable to tobacco companies and campaigned against plain packaging.

[10] Colin Stevens, "« Counterfeit cigarettes drive illicit tobacco trade to highest level in a decade, new study claims,», EU Reporter, June 5, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[11] Colin Stevens, «Impasse in European Union tobacco tax reform: the Swedish veto», EU Reporter, June 6, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[12] Colin Stevens, «EU tobacco policy row intensifies as scientists accuse Brussels of ignoring evidence on harm reduction», EU Reporter, May 12, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[13] Colin Stevens, «PMI defends AI consultation tool as scrutiny grows over EU tobacco rules review», EU Reporter, July 3, 2026, accessed August 31, 2026

[14] «"EU Reporter", Wikipedia (English version), Accessed August 31, 2026.

[15] «EU Reporter under attack», EU Reporter, 20 September 2021, accessed 31 August 2026

[16] EU Reporter lets nicotine lobby have their say, TabakNee, September 18, 2025, accessed August 31, 2026