The Estonian Parliament has passed an amendment to the Tobacco Act, deciding to ban the sale of heated tobacco products with flavors and aromas as of January 31, 2026. The revision stipulates the requirements for product ingredients and labeling, and sets fines for violations. Information needs to be submitted to the health department before the new product is launched on the market.
Key points:
- The Estonian parliament passed the amendment to the Tobacco Act by a majority, and as of January 31, 2026, the addition of flavors to heated tobacco products will be completely banned.
- The amendment has removed the special exemptions for heated tobacco products in terms of taste and packaging, in line with EU directives.
- The law applies to all tobacco products and their components, not limited to specific technologies.
- Manufacturers are required to submit new product notifications to the health department six months in advance.
- The maximum fine for individual violations is 2,400 euros, and for legal persons, it is 32,000 euros.
Estonia amendment: flavored heated tobacco products banned from February 2026
According to Postimees’ report on April 23rd, the Estonian parliament passed the amendment to the Tobacco Law with 68 votes in favor and 7 against. Sixty-eight representatives voted in favor of the bill, seven representatives voted against it and one representative abstained. According to EU directives, Estonia will ban the sale of heated tobacco products of all flavors and aromas starting from January 31, 2026.
The bill defines “heated tobacco products” and puts forward specific requirements for their ingredients, labeling and packaging. According to the directives of the European Union, this act eliminates the previous exception that allowed heated tobacco products to have different flavors and packaging characteristics.
Furthermore, the act also sets out penalty measures for violations of the information disclosure requirements for tobacco products. Failure to inform product information as required can result in a fine of up to 300 penalty units (8 euros for each penalty unit starting from 2025), while legal persons may face a fine of up to 32,000 euros.
The Estonian parliament also revised the bill during the discussion, expanding the scope of application of the law to all tobacco products and their components, regardless of the technology used. In addition, restrictions have also been imposed on the capacity of cartridges containing tobacco fillers.
Manufacturers or suppliers of tobacco products and equipment introducing new products to the Estonian market must submit a notice in electronic form to the health department at least six months before the new products are launched, which includes detailed product descriptions and instructions for use.
In Estonia, the number of people using heated tobacco products accounts for approximately 0.2% of the adult population.
