Regulatory briefing
The regulatory briefing section offers regulatory news and updates from the e-cigarette industry worldwide. Briefings cover topics such as: introduction and passing of relevant bills and bans; changes to regulations in individual countries or regions; and how current affairs and government policies are affecting the industry. It also provides ECigIntelligence’s expert summary of events and analysis.
Why are WHO talks on novel tobacco products postponed from COP9 to 2023?
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 21st September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to postpone a discussion on novel tobacco products to a face-to-face event in 2023 – a decision experts are linking to a lack of consensus ...
Canada’s approach to vaping regulation and flavours lies in the election balance
Written by ECigIntelligence || 20th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
One of the first tasks facing Canada’s incoming health minister will be the implementation of a new set of federal regulations for vaping products – which may or may not include a planned ban on flavours ...
BAT urges Middle Eastern governments to adopt tobacco harm reduction
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 17th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
British American Tobacco (BAT) is engaging with national authorities in the Middle East to encourage adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies ...
‘Significant progress’ – but the US FDA’s biggest decisions are still to come
Written by Aidan Semmens || 15th September 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
The dog didn’t eat all the FDA’s homework – just 7% of it. But there will be those who argue that the missing 7% was the crucial bit all along ...
MEPs table amendments to include harm reduction in European cancer report
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 14th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Three Italian members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are hoping to introduce the concept of harm reduction into a strategy report by the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) ...
FDA’s PMTA denials get a warm political welcome – but not the delay over Juul
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s denial of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) has been welcomed by politicians and public health bodies – with severe reservations about the delay over Juul and others ...
US FDA rejects 5.5m PMTAs; Juul’s application still under review
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 9th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected most of the 6m premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) it received for vaping products, but Juul’s intently-watched application remains under review ...
Into the great unknown as US FDA’s deadline to decide on PMTAs arrives
Written by Barnaby Page || 9th September 2021 || Blog , Regulatory briefing |
As the US Food and Drug Administration's deadline to pass or reject e-cigarette premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) arrives, where does it leave the market and the as-yet undetermined applications? ...
Argentina’s ruling party puts forward ‘fundamental’ proposal to ban e-cigs
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A bill to prohibit the manufacturing, distribution, sale and use of e-cigarettes in Argentina has been presented in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the National Congress ...
Californian proposal for 12.5% e-cig tax on its way to under-fire governor
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A new 12.5% sales tax on e-cigarettes has been approved by the California State Legislature and now requires only the signature of governor Gavin Newsom – who is facing a recall election next week ...
US FDA denies more PMTAs a week before the final deadline – ‘more will follow’
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 2nd September 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a number of “additional” marketing denial orders (MDOs) for flavoured e-cigarettes, denying their premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) ...
US Congress looks set to cut Biden’s proposed budget for the FDA by half
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Both the House and the Senate are intent on increasing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) budget for next year, but the figure is likely to be well short of the $6.5bn proposed by president Joe Biden...
German state of Hesse prepares updated rule to clamp down on passive vaping
Written by ECigIntelligence || 30th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The German state of Hesse is aiming to strengthen protection against passive smoking by targeting e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in a new legislative initiative to update the current regulations ...
US FDA denies marketing authorisation for 55,000 flavoured vapour products
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled out premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for 55,000 flavoured vapour products after concluding that on balance they pose a threat to public health ...
State AGs join in calling on FDA to deny PMTAs for flavoured vaping products
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 24th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A group of 31 US attorneys general has joined together in urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to deny premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for vaping products ...
Italian proposal calls for prison officials to allow inmates to use e-cigs
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 23rd August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Italian Department of Prison Administration (DAP) has been urged to implement a 2016 circular that authorised the use of e-cigarettes by inmates ...
Taiwanese regions and cities follow same trend in tightening e-cig public usage
Written by ECigIntelligence || 16th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The most populous city in Taiwan has recently joined eight regions in implementing new legislation restricting the use and sale of e-cigs and heated tobacco ...
US lawmakers look to establish a $100m e-cigarette user fee scheme for 2022
Written by ECigIntelligence || 13th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A bipartisan group of federal senators have reintroduced a bill in Congress that would force e-cigarette manufacturers to pay user fees to the FDA in a bid to fund the federal agency ...
How will the US FDA resolve the 1.5m pending PMTAs?
Written by ECigIntelligence || 11th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
After the recent announcement that FDA rejected 4.5m of the total 6m PMTAs filed, experts believe that this decision is a clear path for enforcement ...
US FDA rejects 4.5m PMTA applications from one single manufacturer
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 10th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A small manufacturer from Texas must remove millions of vaping products from the US market after the FDA issued a Refuse to File (RTF) letter rejecting most of its PMTAs ...
Behind the scenes of the 6m PMTA submissions – the ‘top five’
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 6th August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Five US companies are top of the list with the most PMTAs submitted, and represent five out of the 6m total applications by the September 2020 deadline ...
E-cig industry association sues Spanish government over anti-vaping campaign
Written by ECigIntelligence || 3rd August 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Spain’s e-cigarette industry has launched legal action against the central government, claiming a long-running anti-vaping campaign is against the law on several counts ...
WHO urges governments to impose tough e-cigarette regulation and tax
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about “addictive” e-cigarettes and said they should be strictly regulated and taxed by governments to protect public health ...
WHO anti-tobacco report takes new aim at e-cigarettes and ‘emerging products’
Written by Aidan Semmens || 27th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its eighth report on “the global tobacco epidemic”, for the first time presenting facts, figures – and opinion – on new and emerging products such as e-cigarettes ...
MPs demand new plan for e-cigs to help achieve ‘smoke-free’ target for England
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
MPs have called on the UK government to present “ambitious plans” for vaping products if they want a chance of hitting the target of a smoke-free country by 2030 – a target public health experts consider unreachable ...
With TPD revision on the horizon, what are the next steps for EU regulation?
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
An intense period of negotiations on a revision of EU regulation of tobacco alternatives is coming, following the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) implementation report represented by the European Commission ...
Italian Senate to have the last word on plan for temporary e-liquid tax relief
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 19th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Italian Senate is close to considering temporary tax relief for e-cigarettes in the country – a move financial experts do not expect to cause any significant drop in the overall volume of tax collected ...
Costa Rican government reluctant to put forward 40% e-cigarette tax proposal
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 15th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The government of Costa Rica does not believe this is the time to debate a proposal to impose a new tax on e-cigarettes – a proposal that has been described by the country’s attorney general as “abusive”...
Italian parliament considers temporary reduction in tax on e-liquids from August
Written by Antonia di Lorenzo || 13th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is considering an amendment that would temporarily lower the excise duties on vaping products ...
Estonia may expand the legal range of flavours and restore online sales
Written by ECigIntelligence || 12th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Opposition members of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) have tabled a bill aiming to ease some of the regulations on vaping products ...
South Africa’s long wait for vaping regulations may be nearing an end
Written by ECigIntelligence || 8th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The South African Health Department is finishing its work on long-standing legislation that is set to introduce new regulations for vaping products in the country ...
Dutch Parliament set to over-rule opposition to new ad restrictions
Written by ECigIntelligence || 5th July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Some Dutch lawmakers have expressed concern about the possible consequences of an amendment to the Tobacco and Smoking Products Act and the introduction of new advertising restrictions on tobacco-alternative products ...
Could Juul Labs’ $40m North Carolina settlement affect other legal challenges?
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 1st July 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The $40m agreement between Juul Labs and the US state of North Carolina marks an unexpected milestone for the manufacturer – one which could set a precedent for other outstanding claims ...
Wisconsin Republicans ready to scrap Democrat budget plan for e-cigarettes
Written by ECigIntelligence || 29th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
A few months after Wisconsin’s Democratic governor Tony Evers presented a budget introducing changes to the way vapour products are taxed, the US state’s Republican-controlled legislature looks ready to scrap it ...
North Carolina announces deal requiring Juul to pay $40m and ‘mend its ways’
Written by Aidan Semmens || 28th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US state of North Carolina has reached an out-of-court agreement with Juul Labs that will require the company to pay $40m over six years and make “drastic changes to the way it conducts business” ...
China confirms its suspicious attitude towards ‘unsafe’ and ‘harmful’ e-cigs
Written by ECigIntelligence || 25th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded that e-cigarettes are both “unsafe” and “harmful” in a report that assesses the health risk of vaping products ...
The cap goes on – Canada introduces strict limit on nicotine concentration
Written by ECigIntelligence || 24th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Canadian government is imposing a nicotine cap on vaping products, bringing the country in line with the 20 mg/ml maximum that applies in Europe ...
Think tank accuses WHO of ‘ideological’ opposition to vaping ahead of COP9
Written by ECigIntelligence || 23rd June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The UK-based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is to host a webinar arguing that the anti-vaping policies of the World Health Organization (WHO) are driven by ideology not science, and damaging to public health ...
Experts still see hope for future legal challenges to US FDA authority
Written by ECigIntelligence || 22nd June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s authority to regulate e-cigarettes could face further legal scrutiny after the recent refusal by the Supreme Court to hear a challenge initiated by a vape shop ...
Canada prepares to ban sweet and ‘highly pleasant’ flavours, aromas – and names
Written by ECigIntelligence || 21st June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Canadian government has taken another step towards limiting flavoured vaping products across the country and placing restrictions on the names and descriptions that can be used on e-liquid packaging ...
Russia takes another step in its plans to tighten vaping regulations
Written by ECigIntelligence || 18th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The Russian government is planning to prepare a report with proposals to further regulate tobacco products in the country, suggesting that it could tighten the regulations for e-cigarettes and introduce a flavour ban ...
Both sides in UK agree government plan should do more to promote vaping
Written by ECigIntelligence || 14th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The British government must step up efforts to promote vaping products if it is to achieve its goal of a smoke-free society by 2030, a cross-party parliamentary committee in Westminster agreed ...
Germany gives green light to new vaping tax scheme based on ml from 2022
Written by ECigIntelligence || 11th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Germany will implement a new per ml tax scheme for e-liquids from next year after adjustments to the German Tobacco Law were passed by the Bundestag ...
US Supreme Court refuses challenge to FDA authority over vaping products
Written by Aidan Semmens || 8th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s authority to regulate e-cigarettes, refusing to review a case that relied on a constitutional doctrine last applied in 1935 ...
Bosnia and Herzegovina takes a big step towards TPD-like e-cigarette regulation
Written by Marija Obradovic || 8th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s lower house has passed a bill that will harmonise the country’s tobacco regulation with the standards of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) ...
German lawmakers close to reaching an agreement to change e-liquid tax scheme
Written by ECigIntelligence || 7th June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Political parties in Germany are negotiating a change in the tax scheme for nicotine e-liquids, moving away from the government’s proposal and the way the due sum is calculated ...
New UK health body is not expected to change direction set by PHE on vaping
Written by ECigIntelligence || 3rd June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
The recent shake-up of the UK’s health sector with the replacement of Public Health England (PHE) is not expected to substantially change the country’s support of vaping – and may even take it further ...
‘Betrayal’ – Philippines health advocates condemn lowering of e-cig purchase age
Written by ECigIntelligence || 1st June 2021 || Regulatory briefing |
Health advocacy groups in the Philippines have raised concerns about a recently approved bill lowering the minimum age to buy and use e-cigarettes from 21 to 18 ...