E-cigarettes in Europe

Distance sales in the EU

The coronavirus crisis has seen most EU states opting to severely restrict physical retail of all kinds, and as many do not consider vape shops as an essential business – online sales have soared.

Member states’ implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), as well as additional national requirements, have varied implications for online selling. While in some countries it is OK to sell at a national level, in others it is not.

However, the TPD and national transposition laws do not only have a direct implication for companies selling online to the EU but also unintended effects for companies that do not directly sell into Europe.

Online advertising and marketing in the EU

The implementation of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), as well as additional national requirements, have resulted in varied implications for member states with regards to advertising, and while some countries allow webpages to display information, some others interpret this as a breach of advertising prohibitions.

In this page you will find information on how to address the issues of advertising of e-cigarettes across the EU, providing clarity over the different regulatory problems that may arise with cross-border distance marketing within the European Union, or from other countries to the EU.