Vape groups warn EU TPD review risks ‘prohibitionist’ shift

Industry bodies and harm reduction advocates have sharply criticised the European Commission’s evaluation of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), warning it could pave the way for tighter restrictions on vaping and other reduced-risk nicotine products.

The review, published in Brussels on 2 April, concludes that existing tobacco rules have contributed to a 14.3 per cent decline in smoking rates across the EU since 2012. However, critics argue the report simultaneously acknowledges the bloc is on course to miss its 2040 smoke-free target by a wide margin.

The evaluation also signals potential future measures including flavour bans, restrictions on disposable devices, and tighter controls on heated tobacco and nicotine pouches.

The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has condemned the report as selectively interpreting evidence while overlooking the role of harm reduction in accelerating smoking decline in some member states.

Alberto Gómez Hernández, policy manager at the WVA, said the document “attacks the very alternatives” that have driven progress in countries such as Sweden, the Czech Republic and Greece.

“The report celebrates a pathetic smoking drop that guarantees missing the 2040 smoke-free target by decades. At the same time, it attacks the very alternatives that made Sweden smoke-free, Czechia the EU’s fastest decliner, and Greece a turnaround story,” he said.

WVA director Michael Landl was more blunt, describing the evaluation as a “masterclass in cherry-picking science” and warning that proposed regulatory changes could undermine public health gains.

“It is peak irony that while Brussels touts a 14 per cent decline and prepares new bans, Sweden has effectively become smoke-free,” he said, noting that the country has slashed its smoking rate by 66 per cent over the same period.

According to the WVA, Sweden’s success has been driven by widespread uptake of alternative nicotine products such as vaping and nicotine pouches, which have been allowed to compete with combustible tobacco.

Concerns have also been raised by nicotine pouch advocacy group Considerate Pouchers, which accused the Commission of ignoring the public health potential of modern oral nicotine products.

The group said the evaluation focuses disproportionately on potential risks while downplaying the significantly lower risk profile of pouches compared with cigarettes.

Global spokesperson Juan Rafael Taborcía described the report as “dangerously narrow-minded” and criticised what he called a failure to recognise harm reduction strategies.

“This report is a masterclass in cognitive dissonance,” he said. “It admits the EU is failing its smoking cessation targets, yet its primary solution is to attack the most effective tools we have for getting people off cigarettes. To ignore the Swedish Miracle, where pouches have practically eliminated smoking, is not just biased, it is a betrayal of European smokers.”

Both organisations warned that further restrictions could have unintended consequences, including limiting consumer choice and fuelling illicit markets.

The WVA urged the European Commission to adopt a more evidence-based approach to regulation, arguing that policies should reflect the relative risks of different nicotine products rather than treating them uniformly.

The Commission is expected to use the evaluation as a foundation for a broader revision of EU tobacco legislation, setting the stage for a potentially significant shift in the regulatory landscape for vaping and other alternatives.