EHN response to the EU public consultation on tobacco products and tobacco advertising

The European Heart Network (EHN) has submitted its response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD). The consultation will inform the Commission’s revision of EU tobacco control legislation.

In its response, EHN calls for ambitious, future-proof EU tobacco control legislation that puts public health protection at its core. EHN highlights growing evidence that nicotine itself is a cardiovascular risk factor and stresses that the revised framework must address the rapidly evolving market for tobacco, nicotine and related products.

In particular, EHN calls for:

• A broader and future-proof regulatory framework, covering all nicotine products, including nicotine pouches and synthetic or chemical nicotine, as well as nicotine-free products marketed and used in similar ways. EHN is in favour of technology-neutral definitions and mechanisms allowing EU rules to respond rapidly to new scientific, technical and market developments.
• Stronger protection for children and young people, including comprehensive restrictions on flavours, attractive product designs and packaging, alongside stronger controls on cross-border online sales.
• Comprehensive regulation of digital advertising and promotion, explicitly covering social media, influencer marketing, streaming services and user-generated content to bring these technologies and reduce young people’s exposure and prevent uptake.
• Stronger packaging and product requirements, including mandatory plain packaging, clear health information, limits on nicotine concentration and dose, stronger safety and ingredient requirements, and restrictions on disposable nicotine products.
• Effective cessation support, ensuring that people who already use tobacco or nicotine products have access to evidence-based cessation products and services.
• Stronger reporting, traceability and enforcement, including extending traceability requirements beyond traditional tobacco products to e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and future nicotine products.
• Greater EU harmonisation, while allowing Member States to adopt stronger measures where necessary to achieve the highest possible level of public health protection.

EHN will continue to engage in the revision process and advocate for EU tobacco control legislation that reduces cardiovascular disease, prevents young people from starting to use tobacco and nicotine products, supports effective smoking cessation, and ensures a consistently high level of public health protection across the EU.