A coalition of twelve European Union nations, led by the Netherlands, has formally urged the European Commission to overhaul its tobacco legislation to address the rapid rise of unregulated e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among youth.
In a joint letter to EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, ministers demanded “future-proof” regulations as part of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan. They warned that the outdated 2014 Tobacco Products Directive leaves young people vulnerable to highly addictive, unregulated products.
The coalition is calling for comprehensive EU-wide restrictions, including:
- Strict bans on characterizing flavors.
- Caps on maximum nicotine concentration levels.
- Mandatory plain packaging for all nicotine products.
- Increased accountability for social media platforms marketing these devices.
Dutch Minister Vincent Karremans emphasized the urgency, noting that vaping poses severe health risks, yet 14% of Dutch adolescents vape regularly. The Netherlands has already enacted a domestic ban on flavored vapes to combat this trend.
The joint letter was signed by the Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain.
