We are on the side of consumers for safer nicotine alternatives

The follow‑up report on the “Assignment to the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare to develop supporting material for monitoring the objective of tobacco and nicotine policy” (S2025/01796) demonstrates clear signs of institutional activism, reflected in a lack of scientific quality and methodological breadth. This response follows a […]

Negotiations on the EU’s new Tobacco Taxation Directive (TTD) have stalled. Officially, the disagreement concerns technical details and institutional processes. In practice, a far more serious question is emerging: who is actually scrutinising the evidence behind one of the EU’s most far-reaching tax proposals? FISC’s role and influence The European Parliament’s tax committee, FISC, is […]

This article is based on reporting originally published by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. A link to the full story is provided below. Several European countries are tightening regulations on nicotine pouches, but France is going the furthest. From April 1, nicotine pouches will be classified under some of the country’s strictest laws, making possession, use, […]

EU tobacco policy is in free fall.  The Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD) now risks not only collapsing, but being hijacked in a political game that lacks any connection to reality.  At the same time, the third revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) is underway. In principle, this is reasonable. The current directive dates back to 2014—a time when nicotine pouches did not even exist.  Fourteen EU countries have already regulated nicotine pouches. Only a handful have banned them. A total ban under TPD3 is therefore highly unlikely. Such a decision would require a qualified majority—and the Nordic countries will never support a ban on a product that demonstrably replaces cigarettes.  There are signs that several countries which currently ban nicotine pouches may be forced to rethink their position. The EU has previously called for more pragmatic regulatory frameworks. Yet just one more country is still missing to secure a blocking minority against a ban.  This is where the game hardens.  More and more governments are now signalling that the TTD is being held hostage until the Commission accepts a minimum tax level of €25 on nicotine pouches. A political horse‑trading exercise. This also stands in direct conflict with the major tobacco companies’ desire to get […]