European Commission reportedly supports WHO plan to ban filter cigarettes

The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, is reportedly supporting a wide-ranging action plan proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen the fight against tobacco, according to an internal document seen by the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.[1]The plan is part of the WHO's stated goal of creating a "nicotine-free generation" as part of its global public health strategy. The document outlines several measures, including a ban on filter cigarettes, potential strict regulation or a ban on combustion-free nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, a ban on their sale in stores, and a plan for a generational sales ban extended to the European Union.

Measures that include a possible ban on filter cigarettes

One of the most prominent proposals supported by the European Commission concerns the ban on cigarette filters. The document specifies that " the ban on the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of filter cigarettes would constitute an important contribution to the fight against smoking ", decreasing " the taste and appeal of cigarettes " but also the problem of passive smoking. The issue is all the more important since the WHO recalled on October 6, 2025 that Europe remains the region in the world with the largest number of smokers: approximately 173 million Europeans consumed tobacco in 2024[2]According to WHO data from May 4, 2023, in some countries in the WHO European Region, up to 60% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.[3].

If the legislation is introduced, it could amount to a ban on most current cigarettes in the EU, given that more than 90 % of them are produced with filters, as is the case in Germany where 95 % of the cigarettes sold have this device.[4]. According to the publication, German government representatives welcomed the filter ban at a meeting of the EU Council's Health Working Group on October 9, 2025, where the proposal was initially discussed. A representative of the German Health Ministry said that the EU's common position was still being " coordination ".[5]

Filters, sold by the tobacco industry since the 1950s as tools supposedly designed to reduce the risk of lung cancer, were later denounced for their total ineffectiveness in filtering toxic and carcinogenic substances (more than 69 in conventional tobacco). Today, they constitute a significant source of pollution and continue to be part of the marketing strategies used by cigarette manufacturers to attract young audiences and women. From an environmental perspective, when discarded in nature, they release toxic chemicals and represent a form of non-biodegradable plastic waste.

Additionally, a ban or strict regulation of non-combustion nicotine products such as nicotine pouches, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes could be considered as "additional regulatory option"Particular attention would be paid to flavored or disposable vaping products (ENDS), which are highly polluting and popular with young people.

Brussels is also considering banning the sale of these products in shops, gas stations, and kiosks. The stated aim is to reduce the consumption of tobacco and nicotine products, which are readily available in many outlets, while protecting soil and groundwater, in line with WHO recommendations.

The plan also raises the possibility of banning the sale of tobacco products to people born after a certain year, a "tobacco-free generation" measure comparable to that targeted in the United Kingdom or suspended in New Zealand.

Finally, the plan stresses that to achieve this, it is necessary to protect the measures planned by the EU from the influence of the tobacco industry in accordance with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The measure of the ban on filters is already under discussion at the international level.

The measure of the filter ban is included in international negotiations to reduce plastic pollution and will also be addressed at the 11^e session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to be held at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) from 17 to 22 November 2025.

The European Union's position, traditionally carried with a single voice by the Commission on behalf of the Member States, will be awaited. Upstream, some countries such as Italy, Poland, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria could oppose the ban on filters due to political or economic interests linked to the tobacco industry and cultivation.

At the civil society level, health and environmental protection NGOs united internationally within the STPA strongly support the adoption of this measure. In France, the CNCT is particularly committed to ensuring that such a measure is adopted and implemented as quickly as possible.

During the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), which was held from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva without an agreement emerging, the CNCT had notably recalled that cigarette filters, which represent the most widely disseminated toxic plastic waste in the world, have no health justification and are above all a marketing tool intended to strengthen the acceptability of the product. Their ban would constitute a measure that is both concrete and powerful, making it possible to sustainably reduce plastic pollution while responding to a public health issue.

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[1]Jean-Philippe Liabot, EU plans to ban filter cigarettes, confidential document shows, Euronews, published on October 14, 2025, accessed on October 20, 2025

[2]Tobacco-free generation, Tobacco: Global progress slows, Europe lags behind WHO targets, published October 15, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025

[3]World Health Organization, Secondhand smoke: the invisible killer that continues to cause death and disease, published May 4, 2023, accessed October 21, 2025

[4]Marian Nadler, Will smoking soon be banned? The EU is cracking down on filter cigarettes, Blick, published October 17, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025

[5]Julia Shramko, EU considers banning filter cigarettes and e-tobacco products – Bild, UNN, published October 16, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025

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