On 6 October 2026, eight Member States sent an open letter to the European Commissioner for Health Olivér Várhelyi. The letter addresses the upcoming revision of the EU tobacco regulatory framework and calls for further restrictions on certain tobacco and nicotine products.
Here is our position:
Bans push demand into the black market run by organised crime, where there are no age checks, product safety standards, taxes, or control. Europe’s black market is already booming, with 13 billion euros lost each year from illegal tobacco, while non-compliant vapes are on the verge of overtaking the legal market in size*.The revision of the Tobacco Products Directive is an opportunity to put control back where it belongs: with local authorities, through rules that keep adult demand in the legal market.
*Fraunhofer Institute – The Irregular Market for E-Cigarettes in Europe (2026)
