France: The National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) has published an updated list of notified e-cigarettes, which includes 81,809 products.
From February of 2022, subscribers will be able to view and filter individual regulatory alerts per region. If you want to get our monthly compilations, visit our alerts Round-up section.
Luxembourg: In answer to a parliamentary question about whether the increased use by teenagers of flavoured disposable e-cigarettes, as seen in France, was also occurring in Luxembourg, health minister Paulette Lenert said yesterday that as none of the notification fees for disposables had been paid, their presence on the market was illegal. She added that while it did not currently have usage data on these products, “the Ministry of Health takes the emergence of this type of product very seriously [as] the electronic cigarette in all its forms or variants constitutes a potential health risk”.
EU: EU law requires certain large companies to disclose information on the way they operate and manage social and environmental challenges. The European Council and Parliament have reached an agreement on the rules of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which will impact listed EU and non-EU companies operating in the region, with a turnover of more than €150m. Among more detailed reporting requirements, it requires large companies to report on sustainability issues such as environmental, social and human rights and governance factors, and to have their reported sustainability information independently audited.
Portugal: The Directorate-General for Health has launched its 2030 National Strategy for the Fight against Cancer. Among measures proposed are an increase in e-cigarette and tobacco product prices, regulation of ingredients and packaging, and raising the minimum legal purchase age. The document is under public consultation until 29th July.
Netherlands: The Act amending the Tobacco and Smoking Products Act will come into force tomorrow, 1st July, further limiting the advertising of products including e-cigarettes, and banning façade advertising.
Germany: The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has updated the list of notified e-cigarette products, which now contains 267,980 vapour products. Only products notified at least six months ago are listed.
Belgium: The Superior Health Council has issued an a report on the evolution of e-cigarettes, saying they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes and can be used as a smoking cessation tool – though it stresses that they are not risk-free. The council recommends the government to draw up a list of prohibited additives in e-liquids, extend the notification obligation to nicotine-free vapes, and introduce health warnings for nicotine-free e-cigarettes. It advises against introducing a flavour ban, which it says would be counterproductive, discouraging those who have switched from smoking to vaping.
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.
Bulgaria: A budget bill which would have introduced excise tax on e-liquids will not be voted on after the government was dissolved following a no-confidence vote.
EU: The European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG-Santé) has published a document entitled Healthier Together, on the EU non-communicable diseases initiative, highlighting the control of “tobacco and related products”. The paper lists policies that have proved “effective or promising”, such as product regulation, price increases, warnings, reduced advertising, sponsorship and promotion, and controls on the availability and density of retailers.
Ireland: Senators have urged stricter regulation of e-cigarettes, press reports. In discussions on the Nicotine Inhaling Products Bill, senator Diarmuid Wilson of the Fianna Fáil party said: “We must try to strike a balance between the potential benefits of e-cigarettes for adult smokers trying to quit and the risks that more non-smokers, particularly children and especially young children, will start vaping.” Senator Micheál Carrigy of Fine Gael called for further retail restrictions, including a retail licensing system.
France: The National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) has published an updated list of notified e-cigarettes, which includes 79,341 products.
EU: The European Commission yesterday launched an initiative to review the Council’s 2009 Recommendation on smoke-free environments. The initiative seeks to extend the recommendation’s coverage to include emerging products and to incorporate additional outdoor spaces. The feedback period is open until 20th July.
UK: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has reported that IP infringement related to e-cigarette products was reported by more than 30% of local Trading Standards Authorities in 2021-2022, far more than in previous years. “This indicates that the market for counterfeit vaping products has transformed during the last four years from a relatively small scale, niche, area of criminal activity into a more significant one,” the IPO said.
Sweden: The Riksdag (parliament) has approved a bill on Stricter rules for new nicotine products, strengthening the restrictions on advertising and marketing e-cigarettes and refills. However, a proposal to ban non-tobacco flavours in e-liquids was rejected, as recommended by the Social Affairs Committee.
France: Following president Emmanuel Macron’s loss of a majority in the National Assembly, with the left-wing alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon taking 131 seats and Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National 89 seats, against the 245 held by Macron’s Ensemble! coalition, it will be difficult for the re-elected president to pursue his agenda – which included no proposed change in policy on vaping products. During his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Mélenchon proposed getting tougher on tobacco smuggling, but neither candidate’s manifesto mentioned new nicotine products.
Italy: The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has updated the list of websites that do not comply with restrictions on advertising and long-distance sales of vapour products. Websites that are still non-compliant on 23rd June will be blocked by the ADM.
Sweden: The Riksdag (parliament) Social Affairs Committee has published a report on the bill Stricter rules for new nicotine products supporting the proposed toughening of restrictions on the marketing and advertising of e-cigarette products but rejecting a ban on non-tobacco flavoured e-liquids. The bill will be debated in the Riksdag before a vote on 22nd June.
Germany: The Alliance for Tobacco-Free Enjoyment, an association of small and medium-sized companies, has filed a complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court (BVG) to prevent future increases in e-cigarette tax, press reports. This follows a tobacco tax reform, adopted in 2021, which introduced a tax on e-liquids with or without nicotine from 1st July 2022, increasingly annually until 2026.
EU: Tomorrow, 17th June, is the last day to submit comments on the European Commission initiative to review the current tobacco legislative framework, the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and the Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD). The initiative covers product regulation, advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It aims to assess how far the framework has fulfilled its goals and whether it can support a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040, as announced by the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA).
Denmark: A possible ban on nicotine products is among the topics for discussion today at the Folkemødet (People’s meeting), an open forum for political parties to engage with the public. The discussion, led by the Danish Cancer Society, will feature MP Per Larsen of the opposition Conservative People’s Party. In April, health minister Magnus Heunicke said it would not be possible to implement a proposed ban on access to tobacco and nicotine for those born in or after 2010 due to the terms of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
Norway: The Health Directorate has updated its online page on e-cigarettes, which now says the ban on nicotine-containing vapour products is likely to be lifted in 2023.
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.
Netherlands: Market data notification on sales volumes of products in the previous year is required in the Netherlands by 15th June each year.
UK: MP Andrew Gwynne asked health secretary Sajid Javid yesterday whether tobacco lobbyists would have any influence on the government’s overdue tobacco control plan, prevention strategy or planned response to the Khan review? Javid replied that the government was committed to a smoke-free 2030, which was why he commissioned the independent review. “I welcome its findings and we are carefully considering them,” he said.
Austria: Today, 15th June, is the deadline for the submission of e-cigarette notification fees, which should be calculated by the manufacturer or importer and sent electronically to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).
Sweden: A report will be published on Thursday, 16th June, after the Social Affairs Committee met today to discuss a bill on Stricter rules for new nicotine products. The bill would ban non-tobacco-flavoured e-liquids and strengthen the restrictions on marketing and advertising of e-cigarettes and e-liquids. Parliament will vote on the proposal on 21st June.
EU: The EU Early Warning System, operated by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) today published its report on New psychoactive substances: 25 years of early warning and responses in Europe. The report, which provides an update on synthetic cannabinoids, warns of an “increase [in some parts of Europe] in reports of the vaping of synthetic cannabinoids using electronic cigarettes”. It adds that “in some cases, individuals are unaware they are using synthetic cannabinoids as the products are mis-sold as containing THC or CBD”.
Switzerland: The Federal Office of Public Health has announced a smoking and vaping prevention campaign aimed at childen and young people under the title “Free. Fair. Futures”.
UK: E-cigarette retailer VPZ has initiated a petition calling on the British government to impose an outright ban on the sale of cigarettes and smoking, and to develop a strategy to help more people switch to vaping. An identical petition has also been submitted in Scotland.
France: The results of yesterday’s first round of voting in the National Assembly elections suggest the second round on 19th June will be a close contest between the left-wing alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and president Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble! coalition, which risks losing its present majority. During his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Mélenchon proposed getting tougher on tobacco smuggling and aiming for a “zero tobacco” youth. Neither candidate’s manifesto mentioned vaping products.
UK: Javed Khan, who has been tasked by the government to to head an independent review into tobacco control, has tweeted that the presentation of the review to the government, originally scheduled for yesterday, 25th May, has been postponed until June.
Spain: More than 85% of Spaniards would be in favour of more restrictive regulation of tobacco products and 72% would ban smoking on restaurant and bar terraces, press reports. The survey was conducted by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC). Susana Morena, coordinator of the Smoke-free week (a campaign organised by semFYC) said the restrictions on smoking should be extended to e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating devices. She said there was a false perception among young people that such products were less dangerous.
EU: The European Commission published on Friday, 20th May, an initiative to evaluate the EU’s legislative framework for tobacco, covering product regulation, advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It aims to assess how far the framework has fulfilled its goals and whether it can support a “tobacco-free generation” by 2040, as announced by the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA). The initiative, which will help the Commission decide whether the EU approach should continue or be amended, is now open for feedback until 17th June.
Sweden: The right-wing Sweden Democrats, the Centre Party and the Left Party have all presented motions against the government’s proposed Stricter rules for new nicotine products (Proposition 2021/22: 200), questioning the suggested ban on non-tobacco-flavoured e-liquids. The parties say banning flavours would make it harder for people to switch from smoking to a less harmful alternative and that a market study on the consequences of such a ban should be undertaken.
Sweden: The Public Health Agency has updated the publicly available list of notified e-cigarettes and refill containers, which contains 11,909 vapour products.
EU: EU officials have told ECigIntelligence that at present there are no planned or proposed measures to phase out non-rechargeable portable batteries. However, a possible ban on single-use batteries under the revision of EU rules on batteries and waste – which would affect disposable products such as pods – is expected to be examined by 31st December 2027, when the Commission assesses the feasibility of such a measure and submits a recommendation to the European Parliament and Council.
UK: In response to a parliamentary question, junior environment minister Jo Churchill said no specific assessment had been made of the number of vape pens that go to landfill. She reiterated that the government plans to consult on reforms to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations later this year.
UK: A Westminster Hall debate will be held tomorrow, 26th April, on the progress towards the government’s smokefree 2030 ambition.
Netherlands: The Ministry of Health, Wellbeing and Sport has confirmed to ECigIntelligence that legislation to prohibit e-cigarette flavours other than tobacco flavour is being prepared and should be published for consultation this summer. The new law, expected to come into effect in early 2023, will allow a limited list of taste-determining additives.
UK: Health secretary Sajid Javid has told Parliament that the independent review of tobacco control, headed by Javed Khan, should be published in May.
Germany: The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) will hold a seminar on “Chances and risks of e-cigarettes” in Berlin and online on 28th and 29th April. The event aims to discuss the current state of knowledge on e-cigarettes, including flavouring and consumer protection.
Finland: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has confirmed to ECigIntelligence that an amendment to the Tobacco Act was yesterday approved by president Sauli Niinistö. The amendment introduces uniform packaging for e-cigarettes from 1st May 2023 and extends smoke-free and vape-free environments from 1st May 2022.
Netherlands: The e-cigarette flavour ban that was to be introduced on 1st July has been put back six months, the trade association Esigbond reports. The ban will only allow sales of tobacco-flavoured vaping products. Its postponement comes after the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) drew up a list of approved flavourings, which Esigbond says included two – isophorone and pyridine – that are known to be carcinogenic.
Portugal: Following the rejection by Parliament of the first State Budget, prime minister António Costa’s new government today presented a new Budget, with a proposed 1% increase in tax on nicotine e-liquids, from from €0.32 to €0.323 per ml still intact. Parliament still needs to approve the new budget, which is expected to happen by the end of May.
Italy: The Council of State will hold a hearing on 21st June on the fate of e-liquids without tax stamps that remain unsold, media reports. In January, following a lawsuit filed by e-cigarette manufacturer Smooke France in July 2021, the Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) of Lazio overturned a Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) circular from March 2021 which ordered the disposal of all e-liquids without tax stamps from 1st January 2022; the ADM then appealed against that decision to the Council of State, Italy's highest administrative court.
Netherlands: The vape stores’ trade association Esigbond has complained about sales of illegal disposable e-cigarettes in non-specialist shops, markets and online, media reports. It warns that these products are unregistered, often have too high nicotine levels, and lack Dutch health warnings on the packaging. It says the products are being promoted on social media and calls for their sale to be stopped immediately.
UK: Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police have seized 4,500 disposables with excessive nicotine levels and 420 counterfeit e-cigarettes from a souvenir shop in London’s Oxford Street, press reports.
France: The National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) has published an updated list of notified e-cigarettes, which includes 76,309 products.
Bulgaria: The Council of Ministers has agreed to introduce an excise duty for vaping products in order to cut usage, media reports. The exact figures have not yet been released, but the new tax is planned to come into force in July.
Italy: The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has issued a circular listing the new excise duty rates on e-liquids that apply until the end of the year. As of 1st April, nicotine-containing liquids will be subject to duty of €0.131303 per ml, while the rate for those without nicotine is €0.087535 per ml.
UK: Junior health minister Maggie Throup told MPs during a debate on “Smoke-free England” that the government’s tobacco control plan would be published later this year. She added: “The new plan will set out a comprehensive package of new policy proposals and regulatory change.”
Lithuania: The Ministry of Health, along with the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department (NTAKD), has presented a draft National Agenda on drug, tobacco and alcohol control, prevention of drug sse and drug-related harm up tol 2035 to the Seimas (parliament) Committee for Addiction Prevention. The plan aims to reduce the supply of tobacco and related products through policies based on scientific studies, improving excise duties, raising awareness of the effects of smuggling on the public budget, regulating emerging products promptly, and strengthening advertising restrictions.
Spain: The Ministry of Health has told the press that a draft amendment to the tobacco control law will shortly be finalised. Although the exact content of the proposal is not yet known, it is expected to include a ban on the use of tobacco products, including heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, in places such as outdoor terraces, beaches, and in private cars. It is also reported that plain packaging is to be introduced, although it is unclear for which products. It remains uncertain what other restrictions might be applied to heat-not-burn (HnB) products and e-cigarettes and whether nicotine pouches are to be included. Lastly, the press reports that prices will be raised, however, it is again unclear which products will be affected.
EU: The European Commission has launched an initiative to evaluate the progress made under Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment, which applies to e-cigarette devices. The Commission’s recommendations are planned for adoption in the third quarter of 2023.
Switzerland: Stakeholders have until tomorrow to comment on the Federal Council consultation on a partial revision of the Tobacco Tax Act, which would set a tax on e-liquids 77% lower than that on combustible cigarettes. The Federal Department of Finance told ECigIntelligence it would revise the preliminary draft based on the results of the consultation. The draft will then be discussed in Parliament. The changes are not expected to come into force before mid/late 2023.
Germany: The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has updated the list of notified e-cigarette products, which now contains 254,020 vapour products. Only products notified at least six months ago are listed.
UK: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its eagerly awaited Post-Implementation Review of Tobacco Legislation. It says the government will consider changes to the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations as part of its plans towards meeting its Smokefree 2030 ambition, but recommends, on the basis of the evidence reviewed, that the current regulations should remain in force. The consultation responses on one side suggested amendments to e-cigarette packaging to promote them as less harmful than smoking, along with increases in allowed e-liquid bottle and tank sizes, and nicotine strength. On the other side, some respondents wanted stronger packaging designs and colours to deter youth use. The new Tobacco Control Plan is yet to be published, but following this no major changes to the vaping framework can be expected.
Belgium: The Federal Public Health Service (FPS) for Health, Food Chain Safety and the Environment has told ECigIntelligence that the draft 2022-2028 Interfederal Strategy for a Tobacco-Free Generation presented last week at the Interministerial Conference on Public Health (CIM Santé) will be supplemented by a series of operational objectives and the goal is to have a complete strategy adopted in autumn.
UK: Lancashire County Council reported yesterday that Trading Standards had carried out inspections of vape shops in response to a huge increase in the number of complaints relating to under-age sales. One shop owner was fined £166 by a court and ordered to pay £275 in costs after two volunteers, aged 15 and 16, were able to make successful test purchases. The shop assistant who sold the products was also fined. Similar actions have been carried out recently in other parts of the country.
Belgium: The General Drug Policy Unit (CGPD) yesterday presented the draft of the 2022-2028 Strategy for a Tobacco-Free Generation during an interministerial conference on public health. The plan, which includes vaping, sets several objectives, such as: removing tobacco industry interference from the preparation and implementation of public health policies, improving health promotion policies, a ban on vending machines, tightening restrictions on long-distance sales and advertising, and improving the make-up of vapour products.
Netherlands: The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has confirmed to ECigIntelligence that in general it is still allowed to print the names of flavours on the packaging of e-liquids and pods. However, it offered a reminder that flavours will soon be banned in the Netherlands.
UK: Conservative MP Bob Blackman today called on the government to raise the purchasing age for tobacco products from 18 to 21 and introduce a “polluter pays” levy on Big Tobacco in order to achieve the smoke-free 2030 targets and to raise funds for smoking cessation services. Prime minister Boris Johnson agreed that smoking was a number one cause of preventable deaths and said that Javed Khan, who is currently reviewing tobacco policy, would take Blackman’s proposals into account.
Iceland: A bill amending Law 87/2018 on e-cigarettes and refills, which we have reported on, has been approved at its first reading in the Althingi (parliament). In addition to banning “flavours that may appeal to children, such as sweet and fruit flavours”, the bill includes a mandatory licence to sell vaping products, issued by the Housing and Civil Engineering Institute, and a ban on vaping on education premises. The bill now moves on to the Welfare Committee, which could propose amendments.
Switzerland: Answering a Federal Council consultation on possible e-cigarette taxation, the Swiss Tobacco Prevention Working Group has demanded that the tax should apply not only to e-cigarettes, but to all tobacco and nicotine products, based on nicotine content. They say products that are already taxed, such as heated and oral tobacco, should face an increase. The consultation is open until 31st March.
Denmark: Health minister Magnus Heunicke announced yesterday, 15th March, that the government plans to ban access to tobacco and nicotine products to anyone born in or after 2010. This is part of the new government’s health reform plan to “Make Denmark Healthier”, which aims to tackle health inequalities.
Austria: Today, 15th March, is the deadline for the annual reporting of e-liquid ingredients and emissions by brand name and product type. The information must be provided to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) through the EU Common Entry Gate.
EU: The EU Parliament has approved, by 584 votes to 67, a proposal to overhaul European rules on batteries, which will now have to be negotiated with member states’ national governments. Rapporteur Simona Bonafé, of the Socialists and Democrats group, said: “The Battery Regulation lays down a holistic set of rules to govern an entire product life cycle, from the design phase to end-of-life,” with the aim of introducing “new sustainability standards that should become a benchmark for the entire global battery market”. It includes an obligation to design batteries that are easily replaceable and recyclable.
UK (Scotland): Trading Standards officers found a wide range of non-compliant single-use or disposable vaping devices on sale in Scotland between October and December 2021, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) reports. Following inspections, a total of 88,839 disposable devices were removed from sale as they were either not labelled correctly, did not contain sufficient classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) regulation information or had not been published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Another 3,683 devices were seized as they had a capacity of over the legal limit of 2 ml.
Italy: The Chamber of Deputies has approved the text for the conversion into law of Decree-Law 228/2021, which aims to lower excise duties on e-cigarettes. If the bill is also approved by the Senate, the rates which applied in early 2021 will be restored from 1st April 2022: approximately €0.13 per ml for nicotine-containing e-liquids and €0.08 per ml for those without nicotine.
Bulgaria: Analysis by the Customs Agency uncovered the evasion of BGN 977,000 (€500,000) in customs duties and VAT on imports of disposable e-cigarettes between 2019 and 2021.
Italy: The Customs and Monopoly Agency (ADM) has updated the lists of notified nicotine-containing and nicotine-free e-cigarette products. The total number of notified vaping products now stands at 20,743.
Ireland: The Oireachtas (parliament) Health Committee is continuing its scrutiny of the Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products Bill by hearing the concerns of stakeholders, press reports. This week the Irish Vape Vendors Association (UVVA) stressed to the committee the role of vaping products in smoking cessation and criticised the threat of a flavour ban, which some medical societies have said should be included in the bill.
EU: The European Parliament voted yesterday, 16th February, by 652 votes to 15, with 27 abstentions, in favour of adopting the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) report on Strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer. The report is of crucial importance, as it makes recommendations related to traditional and novel tobacco and related products that are likely to be considered by the European Commission in the upcoming revision of the Tobacco Excise Directive and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Last-minute attempts by Socialist and Democrat MEPs to introduce amendments that would have made harsher the recommendations on novel tobacco and related products were rejected in favour of a final text that resembles what was agreed by the BECA in December.
Italy: The Customs and Monopoly Agency (ADM) is to appeal against the ruling by the Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) of Lazio that overturned part of an ADM circular of March 2021 which ordered the disposal of all e-liquids without tax stamps from 1st January 2022, media reports.
Iceland: A bill amending Law 87/2018 on electronic cigarettes and refills to introduce a ban on e-cigarette flavourings “that may appeal to children” will be introduced to the Althingi (parliament) on 25th February.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Bill on the Control of Tobacco and Other Products for Smoking will be discussed in the upper chamber of Parliament tomorrow, 17th February. The bill to regulate nicotine-containing e-cigarettes proposes a ban on sales via vending machines and online, online advertising, and vaping in enclosed public places. It would limit nicotine concentration to 20 mg/ml and e-liquid refills to a maximum of 10 ml or cartridges of 2 ml.
Ukraine: Bill 5719, adopted yesterday, 15th February, provides for a change in the mechanism of crediting and distribution of retail tax between local budgets as of 1st April 2022. This relates to an amendment to the Tax Code, adopted at the end of 2021, requiring producers or importers to declare maximum retail prices for tobacco products and e-liquids to the tax authority. The amendment also switched responsibility for paying retail tobacco and e-liquid tax from retailers to manufacturers and/or importers. The tax rate is 5% of the tax base, which is the value of the maximum retail prices of tobacco products and e-liquids, including VAT and excise tax.
Spain: The Ministry of Health has launched an awareness campaign against smoking and vaping outdoors in places commonly frequented by other people, such as beaches, parks and restaurant and bar terraces. Although it is not prohibited to smoke in such areas, the campaign aims to reduce passive smoking and vaping. The government revealed last year its intention of prohibiting smoking and vaping on terraces.
EU: The full European Parliament was considering today, 15th February, whether to approve the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) report in full or to propose further changes. A number of recommendations in the report could have a significant impact on the future of vaping in the EU – such as a proposal to ban e-liquid flavours that appeal to minors and non-smokers in the upcoming revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
Finland: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has set up a working group to consider ways of working towards ending the use of tobacco and nicotine in Finland. The aim is for no more than 5% of the population to be daily users of such products by 2030. Between now and January 2023 the working group will seek measures to promote quitting nicotine use, and consider raising the age limit for the sale of tobacco, nicotine e-liquids and nicotine-containing tobacco substitutes.