E-cigarettes in Hungary

Hungary: The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs has told ECigIntelligence that a total of 10,855,642 ml of e-liquid was sold in Hungary in 2022. This information is retrieved from the system to which every national tobacco shop must submit information on daily stock levels and turnover of all vaping products.

Hungary: The Ministry of Finance has told ECigIntelligence that approximately HUF0.5bn (€1.27m) was collected in tax on e-liquids in 2022, compared to HUF0.2bn (€500,000) in 2021 and HUF0.4bn (€1m) in 2020. E-liquids, regardless of their nicotine content, are currently taxed at HUF33 (€0.084) per ml.

Hungary: From 1st January the new excise duty on e-liquids, regardless of nicotine content, is HUF33 (€0.083) per ml.

Hungary: Following an investigation into two Slovak companies selling Elf Bars online, the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has ordered the temporary shutdown of two Hungarian-language websites “to ensure that the businesses’ – presumably illegal – commercial practices cannot reach domestic customers during the GVH’s investigation”. Flavoured vaping products, online e-cigarette sales, and online advertising of vaping products are all illegal in Hungary.

Hungary: The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Activities (SZFTH) has provided ECigIntelligence with figures showing that sales of e-liquids grew steadily in 2017, 2018 and 2019 but began to fall with the introduction of a flavour ban in May 2020. Sales slid from 16,000 l in 2019 to 12,400 l in 2020, 9,500 l in 2021 and 4,200 liters in the five-month period from 1st January to 31st May 2022.

Hungary: The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) yesterday launched an investigation into two Slovak companies selling Elf Bars online. The GVH said: “The companies presumably give the false impression on their websites that the products can be legally marketed, despite the fact that the distance selling of both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free flavoured electronic cigarettes is prohibited in Hungary.” Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) recently issued an alert that the sale of Elf Bars, flavoured disposable e-cigarettes, was illegal.

Hungary: The Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) published an announcement today about a new, un-notified brand of flavoured disposable e-cigarettes whose usage is widespread among minors – despite flavoured e-cigarettes being banned in Hungary. The SZTFH says it is cracking down and that in recent weeks it has seized HUF135m ($354,000) worth of Elf Bars.