Italy and Greece have submitted detailed objections to the European Commission opposing Ireland’s draft law to restrict e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. This move, initiated under the EU’s TRIS notification procedure, delays the implementation of Dublin’s public health measures until at least October 7, 2026.
Ireland notified its bill on April 2, 2026, under Directive (EU) 2015/1535. The draft legislation amends the Public Health Act 2023, introducing strict controls on nicotine-containing inhalants and pouches. Dublin aims to reduce the appeal of these products to minors, but the proposed measures have triggered resistance from member states prioritizing internal market rules.
The Contested Irish Restrictions and Member State Objections
The Irish bill introduces several strict packaging and marketing rules. Opposing nations argue these measures create trade barriers and increase compliance costs for cross-border businesses.
| Proposed Irish Measure | Italy’s Objection | Greece’s Objection |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Tobacco Flavor Ban | Deemed insufficiently justified; argues age verification is a less restrictive alternative. | Forces manufacturers to alter product formulas specifically for the Irish market. |
| Plain Packaging & Display Bans | Argues plain packaging makes it harder to detect counterfeit products, aiding illicit trade. | Violates Article 34 TFEU regarding the free movement of goods; increases packaging costs. |
| Unilateral Product Definitions | Interferes with the European Commission’s ongoing Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) revision. | Creates divergent technical requirements that penalize Greek exporters. |
Italy’s Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, alongside its Ministry of Health, prepared Rome’s opinion. While acknowledging youth protection as a legitimate goal, Italy argues that Ireland has failed to provide individual scientific evidence for each measure. Rome also warns that unilateral national definitions create legal uncertainty while the European Commission is actively revising the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
Greece’s General Secretariat for Industry focused on the economic impact. Athens argues that the Irish rules will force manufacturers to develop market-specific product versions or withdraw from Ireland entirely. Greece has a large manufacturing and exporting sector for tobacco and nicotine products, which would face increased compliance costs under the proposed rules.
Industrial Interests and Regulatory Influence
The opposition to the Irish bill was driven by trade and industry administrations rather than health authorities. In Italy, the Ministry of Health supported the Irish text, but the Ministry of Enterprise led the formal challenge.
Both Italy and Greece host major tobacco manufacturing operations. In Italy, Philip Morris International (PMI) operates a heated tobacco facility in Crespellano and has committed to agricultural investments through 2027. In Greece, PMI subsidiary Papastratos invested €300 million to convert its Aspropyrgos plant into a production site for heated tobacco sticks.
According to reports from tobacco watchdog organizations, both nations have a history of opposing strict tobacco regulations to protect domestic manufacturing interests. This industrial presence aligns with repeated interventions against stricter regulatory projects, such as Spain’s recent decree on nicotine pouches and previous EU-wide oral nicotine restrictions.
The TRIS objections effectively freeze the Irish bill’s progress, highlighting the ongoing tension between national public health policies and the EU’s single market principles.
- [1] Behind closed doors: how the tobacco lobby influences the European Union and beyond, STOP / Counter-fire, December 2025, accessed July 24, 2026
