Belgium: Today, 18th March, the European Commission
approved Belgium’s proposed ban on disposable e-cigarettes, making the country the first-ever European Union member state to be allowed to ban these products. The Commission considers that, in the specific situation of Belgium, the alternative measures considered by the country would not necessarily sufficiently curb the growing use of disposables there and effectively protect public health. Therefore, the Commission considers the proposed prohibition justified, necessary and proportionate to the aim of protecting public health. Although Belgium sought to ban both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free disposables, the measure’s scope addresses only nicotine-containing ones, as the
notification procedure established in Article 24(3) of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) can be pursued only for categories already defined in the TPD, and nicotine-free disposables are not addressed.
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