Tobacco Directive: Parliament approves plans to deter young people from smoking

The European Parliament today formally approved the revision of the Directive governing the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products in the EU. The Directive harmonises the rules for tobacco and related products sold on the internal market.

"I welcome the Parliament's positive vote on the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive," Commissioner for health and consumer policy Tonio Borg said. "I would like to thank and congratulate all Members of the European Parliament in particular the rapporteur, Linda McAvan, and the shadow Rapporteurs, for their commitment and hard work."

Borg said the endorsement marks one of the final steps before the entry into force of the new rules governing tobacco and related products in the EU.

The Parliament's seal of approval is all the more significant considering the devastating effect tobacco has on the health of EU citizens - 700, 000 premature deaths every year, 14 fewer years of life on average for smokers, more years spent in poor health.

"I am particularly pleased the Parliament fully endorsed new rules on electronic cigarettes which introduce robust safety and quality standards to protect consumers. Today is a great day for EU health policy. The Parliament's formal endorsement of the Tobacco Products Directive is a testament to the political will to put the health of our citizens first," Borg said.

The new Directive aims to improve the functioning of the EU's internal market for tobacco products, whilst assuring a high level of public health.

One of the most compelling reasons to strengthen the rules on tobacco products is the negative impact of tobacco consumption on people's health. Tobacco use is responsible for an estimated 700 000 avoidable deaths in the EU every year. The vast majority of smokers start when they are very young - 70% before their 18th birthday and 94% before the age of 25. The new Directive aims to make tobacco products and tobacco consumption less attractive in the EU, in particular for young people.

In order to ensure the visibility of health warnings, cigarette packs will be required to have a cuboid shape and each pack will contain a minimum of 20 cigarettes.

No promotional or misleading features or elements will be allowed on packs. This includes, for example, references to lifestyle benefits, to taste or flavourings or their absence (e.g. "free of additives"), special offers or suggestions that a particular product is less harmful than another.

Similar rules will apply to roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) packs, which will also have to carry 65% combined health warnings on the front and back as well as the additional text warnings. RYO products can have a cuboid or cylindric shape, or be in the form of a pouch, and each pack will contain a minimum of 30g of tobacco.

Member States have some discretion when it comes to labelling rules for products not currently used in significant quantities such as pipe tobacco, cigars, cigarillos and smokeless products.

While they can may choose to exempt these products from stringent labelling rules, they will be obliged to ensure that these products carry a general warning and an additional text warning. Smokeless tobacco products will have to display health warnings on the two largest surfaces of the pack.

Flavourings in cigarettes and rolling  tobacco must not be used in quantities that give the product a distinguishable ('characterising') flavour other than tobacco. Menthol is considered a characterising flavour and will be banned after a phase-out period of four years - a period which applies to all products with more than a 3% market share in the EU.

Other tobacco products, such as cigars, cigarillos and smokeless products are exempted from the ban on characterising flavours.

The new Directive should enter into force in May 2014. A transposition period of two years for Member States to bring national legislation into line with the revised Directive means that most of the new rules will apply in the first half of 2016. However, the Directive also foresees a transitional period for all product categories to give manufacturers and retailers time to sell off their existing stock insofar as it complies with the old Directive or other relevant legislation.