21, health ministers from 27 European Union (EU) member states called for strict controls on vape flavors, which could affect millions of vaping users and market structure. Discussions focused on flavor bans and cross-border sales controls, with differences of opinion remaining.
27 countries discuss new rules for vapes
According to Vaping360, [Two Supremacy Alert] June 21, health ministers from all 27 European Union (EU) member states discussed proposals to restrict the flavors of e-cigarettes and other tobacco tar products, including tobacco tar pouches, at a meeting today (21). Their position could lead to stricter e-cigarette regulations for millions of European tobacco tar customers.
The Committee on Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer Affairs is one of the 10 “institutions” of the European Commission (EPSCO) within the EU that will take into account the views of Latvia and Denmark in support of the flavoring ban to combat cross-border sales.
The Latvian paper was also supported by the delegations of Cyprus, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland. Slovenia and Spain were endorsed by Denmark.
If there is consensus and support from the health ministers on these proposals, the next step will be to ask the European Commission to propose legislation that will eventually be voted on by the Council and the European Parliament. During this process, elections in different countries may soften or strengthen support for the taste ban in different countries.
Currently, seven EU countries – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania. The Netherlands and Slovenia – have passed laws banning e-cigarette flavors. Spain recently completed a public consultation on a flavor ban, and Latvia is in the process of introducing flavor restrictions. Currently, no country in Europe has passed a law banning e-cigarettes altogether.
The existing Cigarette Commodity Directive (TPD), which regulates standards for cigarette tar and tobacco products within the EU, allows member states to set their own rules on flavors.
However, according to Latvia, the stand-alone ban is ineffective because “cross-border remote sales of cigarettes or related products (including e-cigarettes) are not fully strict in the EU, nor are cross-border sales.”
“Further joint controls in the EU are necessary given the continuing differences between Member States in the regulation of flavors and flavorings in vape oils and cross-border remote sales.”
The Danish paper sets out stricter requirements, calling on the EU to allow member states to ban specific types of tobacco tar products.
“These proposals should include banning the flavors of tobacco tar products. Limiting the nicotine content of these products and, if necessary, banning certain products,” it said. More broadly, we call on the European Commission to initiate a debate on tobacco tar products and allow it to review various possible laws and regulations for a possible ban on defined product types by member states.”
European consumer group European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) wrote to all EU health ministers opposing the proposal. Explaining the consequences of banning flavors.
“We want to be cautious in our discussions and provide some factual background. The proposed measures are unlikely to protect young people. On balance, the harms outweigh the benefits. A ban on the full or partial production and supply of new tobacco tar products would not eliminate the basic need for tobacco tar. All safer tobacco tar products come in certain flavors (including cigarette flavors). Thus, a ban on flavors would be a substantive ban on the product.” A ban will not cause the banned commodity to disappear or the demand for it to disappear.
ETHRA offers four strategies for reducing youth exposure to e-cigarettes and other tobacco tar products:
- Legal regulation of the marketplace;
- Age checks in the retail system;
- Marketing controls;
- Flavor description controls.
- In the forthcoming revision of the key EU cigarette directives. The organization asks EU health ministers to base their decisions on “evidence. Careful consideration and valuable consultation.”
“These directives could be as fatal to European citizens as they are life-saving. We should not modify pre-determined outcomes based on weak or misleading evidence.”
