The future of nicotine pouches in the EU seems to be in doubt. Photo credit: Jakubdrastich2, CC4.0.
Nicotine pouches and other reduced-risk products (RRP) are facing increased regulatory scrutiny in the European Union (EU), raising doubts whether the products will become a key part of Europe’s harm-reduction strategy. On 26 February 2025, France became the latest country to ban nicotine pouches, citing concerns over their appeal to youth and similarities to Swedish snus, particularly their discreet and invisible use. The decision came two weeks after the country had prohibited the sale of disposable vape products.
According to market research firm Business Market Insights, the European nicotine pouch market, valued at US$763.11 million (€762.18 million) in 2022, is expected to reach US$1.23 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% between 2022 and 2030. Nicotine pouches—small, tobacco-free sachets containing a carrier substance infused with nicotine and placed under the upper lip for absorption through the gum—first entered the market nearly a decade ago, after the current EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD2) had been established. While TPD2 covers all traditional tobacco-containing products and includes provisions for novel nicotine products, it did not anticipate tobacco-free pouches. Exploiting this regulatory gap, tobacco companies have heavily invested in bringing brands such as Zyn, Velo, and Nordic Spirit to the common market.
Since nicotine pouches are not subject to TPD2, regulation is left to individual member states. Many EU countries are awaiting guidance from the European Commission, which has indefinitely postponed the revision of the current Tobacco Products Directive. However, the debate surrounding nicotine pouches has intensified in recent years. While some member states are advocating for stricter regulations, such as flavor bans and marketing limitations, others are pushing for a more lenient approach. Among the latter is Sweden, which at the end of last year became the world’s first smoke-free country, a success attributed to its "pioneering policy" on safer alternatives to cigarettes. According to Swedish officials, nicotine pouches, like their traditional moist powdered tobacco product snus, have contributed to lowering the country's smoking prevalence to under 5%.
With its ban on nicotine pouches, France has joined Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, where concerns that attractive packaging and flavors appeal to younger demographics—and may lead to nicotine dependency—outweigh arguments for potential tobacco harm reduction.
Other EU member states are also considering increasingly strict regulatory measures:
- Latvia prohibits the sale of nicotine pouches to people under the age of 20.
- Luxembourg banned sales of nicotine pouches to minors in 2024, prohibited advertising, and introduced new taxes on these products.
- The Czech Republic has banned sales to under-18s since 2023 and set a nicotine limit of 10 milligrams per pouch.
- Denmark, starting in April 2026, will allow only tobacco- and menthol-flavored nicotine pouches. The country is also considering a nicotine limit, a crackdown on illegal sales to minors, and increased taxes on nicotine products to match the cost of a pack of cigarettes.
- Finland, which categorized nicotine pouches as tobacco products in October 2024, is considering a ban on all flavors except mint and menthol.
- Hungary introduced health warnings on nicotine pouches last year, as well as a general nicotine limit of 17 milligrams for all nicotine-containing smoking substitutes.
Poland, where nicotine pouches remain legal, announced last year that it would ban pouches containing synthetic nicotine. In late February 2025, Poland, currently holding the EU presidency and seeking to revise its tobacco policies, made headlines by pushing forward discussions on taxing novel nicotine products—despite the European Commission’s decision to exclude tobacco tax reform from its 2025 agenda. According to industry sources cited by Euractiv.com, taxes on cigarette alternatives would be preferable to an outright ban, given the ongoing regulatory uncertainty surrounding nicotine pouches across the EU.