Denmark is Trying to Ban Nicotine Pouches in Sweden
19th Nov 2025
Secret negotiations are currently taking place in Geneva regarding the future of nicotine pouches. These discussions are happening under the framework of the WHO’s FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) during the COP 11 conference. After the EU collectively agreed to allow nicotine pouches throughout the Union, Denmark, together with prohibition-driven Brazil, is now pushing for a global ban on nicotine pouches, also known as nicotine pouches.
Unlike other negotiations, such as the UN Climate Conference COP 30 happening in parallel, this meeting is held entirely behind closed doors, managed by officials without political oversight and without the presence of journalists. This is a highly undemocratic way of making laws, where the global legislation resulting from this protocol can and should be seriously questioned.
Sweden has a delegation on site consisting of representatives who themselves want to ban nicotine pouches, for example from the Public Health Agency in Östersund, contrary to the plan adopted by the Swedish Parliament on how nicotine products should be regulated in the future.
There is therefore a significant risk that the Danes will succeed in banning nicotine pouches unless the Swedish government manages to ensure that its own agencies advocate for Sweden’s position. Historically, Swedish ministry and agency representatives have remained silent at similar meetings, made perfunctory statements that went unheard, or simply taken a coffee break, allowing decisions contrary to Parliament’s resolutions to be made in their absence.
– The Danes should keep their hands off nicotine pouches, which saves lives every day around the world. I therefore urge the Swedish government to remind Denmark of the Treaty of Roskilde and to ensure that Swedish authorities follow the decisions made by the Swedish Parliament, says Markus Lindblad, Head of Communications at Pouch Patrol.
The democratically negotiated EU mandate can be found here: st-14463-2025.pdf. It is agenda item 4.5 starting on page 16; on page 17, point 9 says nothing about a ban (point four only states that some countries have regulated and banned the products within the EU, not that they should be banned).
Attached are Brazil’s proposal and the Danish presidency’s proposal for the EU position.
The critical text inserted by Denmark is as follows:
“By taking comprehensive regulatory measures, which could include prohibiting or restricting the manufacture, importation, distribution, presentation, sale and use of novel and emerging nicotine products, including ENDS, ENNDS and nicotine pouches”
This is despite the fact that the EU, by consensus, removed all wording about bans. Denmark is now trying to get the EU to reintroduce the ban behind closed doors.
