Public health criticism and the need for unanimous backing put the Commission’s nicotine tax plans in doubt. Photo credit: Sébastien Bertrand, CC2.0.
A coalition of 83 international public health experts urged the European Commission to reconsider plans to impose heavy taxes on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, warning the move could undermine harm reduction and protect cigarette sales, reports EUReporter.
In an open letter to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, the group said suggesting these products pose health risks comparable to smoking is "a significant departure from the foundational principle of evidence-based public health" and risks spreading misinformation about relative health risks.
The signatories, including the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA), the International Association for Smoking Control and Harm Reduction (SCOHRE) and Spain’s PRDT, cited examples from Sweden, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, where alternatives have contributed to lower smoking rates.
Professor Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD, who coordinated the initiative, said taxing smoke-free products would discourage smokers from switching. He warned that the policy could fuel black markets, cut tax revenue, and “cost lives.”
The appeal comes as the EU considers a revised Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) and a new Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource (TEDOR). The TED would raise cigarette taxes by 139%, rolling tobacco by 258%, and for the first time apply steep levies on alternative products. TEDOR would add a 15% surcharge across all tobacco categories, designed to raise €11.2 billion (US$12 billion) annually for the EU’s 2028–2034 budget.
Several member states, including Italy, Greece, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden, have voiced opposition. With unanimity required, the proposals face significant hurdles.
The EU says the measures are intended to reduce tobacco use and provide new revenue streams. Critics argue they risk undermining public health goals by making less harmful products less accessible.