“It’s Not Going to Happen” – Sweden’s Finance Minister on EU Shock Tax Hike on Nicotine Pouches.

At the finance ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg, Sweden’s Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson made a strong stand against the EU’s proposal for a drastic tax increase on nicotine pouches. Sweden remains firm on its principle: taxation should be based on the harm of the product – not political budget needs.

The European Commission has put forward a proposal for a minimum tax on nicotine pouches of €143 per kilo. This could mean that a can becomes up to 700% more expensive. The revenue from this tax would partly go directly to the EU budget – not to the member states.

Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) was clear at the meeting in Luxembourg:

“For someone to come and tell us: Now you have to drastically raise the tax on white snus. That’s not going to happen”, she said.

Sweden advocates the principle of harm-proportionate taxation – the more harmful a product is to health, the higher the tax. This strategy has put Sweden on the brink of becoming the EU’s first smoke-free country, with only 5% daily smokers compared to the EU average of 20%. Raising the tax on nicotine pouches would risk pushing more people back to cigarettes – a step backward for public health.

Opposition to the EU proposal is growing. In addition to Sweden – Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania have voiced criticism. But several major countries, such as Germany, France, and Spain, support the plan.

Now is the time to act!

The European Commission’s consultation is open. There you can submit your own comment and share your opinion on the proposed tax increase on white snus. This is not only important for Sweden and other individual countries in Europe. This is crucial for global public health.

Have you managed to quit smoking thanks to nicotine pouches? Have vapes helped you cut down on cigarettes? Would higher taxes on cigarettes compared to alternative nicotine products make you quit for good? Write and share your experience!

All submitted feedback will be compiled by the Commission and presented to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union as part of the legislative process.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go here and create an account
2. Visit the page on Tobacco taxation here
3. Scroll down to the yellow button Give feedback and follow the instructions.