Market and legal data for the vapour sector in Belgium

Fragile 90-day truce in US-EU trade war: is the vape sector vulnerable to attack?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 17th April 2025

Trade relations between the US and Europe have been put on a 90-day pause, marked by a tense wait as both sides assess their next moves. Could future developments potentially involve the vape sector? ...

Growing trend or overreach? Poland joins the crackdown in Europe on disposables

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd April 2025

With Poland poised to be the next European country to ban disposable vape products, is this the beginning of a wider European trend to phase out disposables in favour of stricter public health measures? ...

France is next EU country poised to ban disposable vapes amid regulatory push

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 30th January 2025

France’s decision to ban disposable vaping devices aligns with the Europe’s escalating efforts to tackle youth vaping and reduce environmental harm from single-use products ...

Could Belgium and France steer Europe towards stricter disposables regulations?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th January 2025

As 2025 unfolds, the European Union finds itself at the centre of an intensifying debate over the environmental and health impacts of disposable vapes, and actions taken by countries like Belgium and France highlight a...

Bans and taxes on disposables took centre stage in 2024, along with politics at play

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th December 2024

“Disposables” was once again the word of the year in vaping – more specifically for 2024, “a ban on disposables” was the phrase of the year in the sector, with many governments passing prohibition laws...

French minister aims to stop disposable vape sales by year end, with pouches next

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 31st October 2024

France aims to stop sales of disposable vapes by the end of the year and may soon ban nicotine pouches to protect youth, based on recent declarations by newly appointed minister of health Geneviève Darrieussecq...

Belgian supermarkets contest ban on vape sales affecting stores of 400 sq m+

Written by ECigIntelligence | 25th October 2024

A rule banning grocery stores of 400 sq m+ from selling tobacco products, tobacco-related products and e-cigs has been called arbitrary and without justification on public health grounds in a recent court challenge ...

Hardware design and function looks set to become next regulatory battleground

Written by Freddie Dawson | 11th July 2024

Expect to see pressure increase in one of the few largely unregulated areas of vaping: hardware design and performance. Some serious proposals are already passing through various legislatures ...

Debate resulting in call for EU flavour ban held 2 days before EC released survey data

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th June 2024

Last week, 12 EU health ministers backed a paper calling on the European Commission to propose new legislation, which could include banning flavoured vapes and limiting nicotine content ...

New mix of MEPs may change Europe’s conservatism on novel tobacco products

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 2nd May 2024

Changes in the European Parliament composition may favour a more open approach towards harm reduction; although, currently, the EU Commission maintains a conservative stance, according to MEP Radka Maxová ...

Belgium gets go-ahead to be first EU member state with disposables ban

Written by Barnaby Page | 18th March 2024

Belgium is to become the first EU member state to ban disposable e-cigarettes, following the European Commission’s approval today, 18th March, of its proposed legislation ...

Banning disposable vapes across Europe: what purpose does it really serve?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 14th March 2024

The fate of disposable vapes appears to be sealed across much of Europe, with at least four countries already determined to ban non-rechargeable e-cigarettes under the auspices of protecting young people and the environment ...

Belgium awaits response from EC in second attempt to ban disposables

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 8th March 2024

Belgium looks close to achieving a ban on disposable e-cigarettes, after failing in a previous attempt that was met by a negative opinion from the European Commission (EC) in late 2021 ...

French Senate approves disposables ban, but will the European Commission agree?

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 8th February 2024

A bill banning disposable vapes has been approved by the French parliament, although no date for when the ban will come into effect has yet been announced ...

What’s in store for 2024? A look at expected regulation in the year ahead

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd January 2024

Further regulatory restrictions on e-cigarettes are expected, but these will not prevent the global vaping market from continuing to grow in 2024, ECigIntelligence predicts ...

Disposables dominated 2023, with buzz around bans, youth and the environment

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th December 2023

“Disposables” was the word in vaping in 2023: although they had been building steam prior to this year, it was 2023 that saw multiple elements reach a crescendo ...

Belgium introduces e-liquid excise duty to adapt to evolving tobacco market

Written by ECigIntelligence | 16th October 2023

Belgium has introduced an e-liquid excise duty that will come into force on 1st January 2024. It will target all nicotine-containing and nicotine-free e-liquids, irrespective of whether intended for use in e-cigs or as a refill...

Belgium places nicotine-free e-liquids under tobacco product regulations

Written by ECigIntelligence | 23rd January 2023

A decree issued by Belgium’s Ministry of Health has set out new rules for nicotine-free e-liquids, equating them with tobacco products because “they may entail similar health risks and social consequences” ...

Belgian Health Council recommends e-cigs to quit smoking and reduce risks

Written by ECigIntelligence | 19th August 2022

Belgian authorities have embraced harm reduction, with the country’s Superior Health Council advocating for the use of e-cigarettes as both a safer alternative to smoking tobacco and an aid for quitting ...

Where do we go from here? How new rules will affect world vape markets

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st January 2022

Consumers will continue to increasingly spread usage out over different alternative nicotine products, partly driven by further, stricter vaping regulation across the globe throughout 2022, ECigIntelligence predicts ...

European surveys back up smoking cessation aim in e-cigarette users

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 13th November 2020

A new survey reveals that 80% of Europeans who switched to e-cigarettes to quit their habit have succeeded ...

World No Tobacco Day 2020: the debate about harm reduction

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 31st May 2020

World No Tobacco Day provides an opportunity to consider the approach that public health authorities, policymakers, and advocates around the world have towards the role of tobacco-alternatives products ...

Moves afoot in Belgian Parliament to ban a range of e-cigarette flavours

Written by ECigIntelligence | 13th May 2020

A Belgian MP has submitted a proposal to Parliament that aims to ban certain e-cigarette flavours to make them less attractive to young people ...

Juul hits hard times as it plans to exit EU markets, US sales drop 10%

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 6th May 2020

Juul is not having the best of times, with an increasing decline in sales leading the company to pull out of South Korea and some European countries – while its sales in the US are...

Impact on e-cigarette sales channels varies as countries face COVID-19

Written by Barnaby Page | 20th March 2020

As European and North American authorities ramp up their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on e-cigarette sales channels are mixed ...

Belgium raises legal purchase age, bans vaping in cars with kids

Written by ECigIntelligence | 24th May 2019

Belgium is to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and ban vaping in private vehicles when minors are present ...

EU tells Belgium it can’t make up all its own rules on HnB

Written by ECigIntelligence | 13th November 2018

Attempts by Belgium to impose new strict regulations on heated-tobacco products may run into problems with the European Union ...

Belgium moves to add HnB devices to the ban on online sales

Written by ECigIntelligence | 6th November 2018

Internet sales of heated-tobacco devices will shortly be banned in Belgium, where selling e-cigarettes online has been illegal since 2016 ...

Belgium’s top judges reject bid to overturn online sales ban

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 19th March 2018

In a ruling that will disappoint many in Belgium’s vaping industry, the country’s highest administrative court has refused a request to overturn a ban on online sales of e-cigarette products ...

Belgium bans vaping by prisoners ‘for security reasons’

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 1st February 2018

Prisoners in Belgium have been banned “for security reasons” from using e-cigarettes, in a move that could influence authorities in other countries ...

Vaping continues to grow in Belgium, where one in seven have tried it

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 2nd November 2017

A survey of Belgian smoking and vaping habits shows 14% of the country’s population have tried e-cigs, and 3% vape at least once a week ...

Belgium gets tough – and it’s all for the vaping market’s own good

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 23rd August 2017

Facebook groups, vape stores with websites, and private vaping rooms have all been targeted as officials tell vapers: buy from specialist stores, where products are controlled and safe ...

France reduces TPD notification fees and relaxes calendar

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 17th December 2016

France says it has reduced manufacturers’ notification costs for new vaping products. Manufacturers will now need to pay just €295, instead of the €550 that was set when the country transposed the TPD in...

Vaping products under new classification in Belgium

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 8th December 2016

A few months after being suspended, a Royal Decree published on 28th October 2016 has finally transposed the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) – but with a very important change in the classification of vaping...

New Royal Decree will overhaul regulation of e-cigs in Belgium

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 24th November 2016

A newly-issued Royal Decree will regulate the market for e-cigarettes in Belgium and introduce some substantial changes from the early 2016 decree, which was suspended in March. One of the main points of this new document published in the...

E-cig science: do meta-analyses really matter?

Written by Marc Beishon | 5th April 2016

In the past year or so, scientists have conducted several systematic reviews that aim to analyse research evidence in order to find whether e-cigs help people quit smoking. The issue addressed by studies like these...

Infographic: how regulation affects vaping prevalence

Written by Barnaby Page | 13th July 2015

Infographic showing how the level of e-cigarette regulation in different territories appears to have an impact on vaping...

Infographic: comparing e-cig and tobacco prices in Europe

Written by Barnaby Page | 16th April 2015

How do the costs of vaping and smoking compare around Europe? Our data shows the typical extra cost of a pack of cigarettes, compared with 10ml of e-liquid, in major European...

Second-generation e-cigarettes “more effective in cessation”

Written by Barnaby Page | 21st November 2014

E-cigarettes may be more effective than previously thought in reducing craving for tobacco cigarettes and helping people quit smoking, according to a group of Belgian scientists who partially attribute their results to the use of...

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