Brussels risks fuelling black market boom with novel nicotine crackdown, industry and customs officials warn
The Euromonitor study, covering 24 member states, revealed sharp divergences depending on national regulatory choices.
Hot Topic
EU regulation
Popular articles tagged "EU regulation"
Premium
German billion-euro online retailer warns EU is regulating itself out of competitiveness
The company, which reports more than €1 billion in annual revenue, around 10 million customers and a catalogue of more than 250,000 products.
Philip Morris calls for consistent EU rules as it highlights €343bn economic footprint
The figures include direct, indirect and induced economic effects calculated through economic modelling.
Parliament sends mixed health signal as tobacco, alcohol and food rules come under scrutiny
MEPs voted 545 to 47, with 75 abstentions, on September 16 to adopt Parliament's response to the EU's first strategy on cardiovascular diseases.
Premium
Bad EU regulation could cost €159 bn per year and 419,000 jobs
According to the study, non-economic priorities can override industrial competitiveness, driving up costs, delaying investment and undermining confidence in EU policymaking.
Commission tells member states to ignore its own new packaging rules and skip penalties
The regulation was negotiated under the 2019-2024 European Parliament, where a Green Deal-supporting majority held sway, and was adopted on December 19, 2024.
EU tobacco consultation exposes growing divide over nicotine harm reduction
“Disproportionate measures risk undermining compliant retailers to the advantage of illicit channels,” Karl E. Lund, a Norwegian tobacco researcher, said.
EU orders Google to share search data and open Android to AI rivals
The Commission said the changes are intended to curb Google's market power and ensure fair competition in Europe's digital economy.
FDA authorises nicotine pouches as lower-risk alternative to cigarettes
The FDA has authorised nicotine pouches for marketing with a modified-risk claim, stating they lower health risks for adult smokers who completely switch from cigarettes.
Premium
US ambassador urges EU to cut regulation, says current model is ‘damaging European consumers’
Andrew Puzder defended the recently negotiated US-EU trade agreement while warning that Europe's biggest economic challenges are largely self-inflicted.
EU to limit children’s access to social media
The EU plans to implement phased access to social media for children, with recommendations for supervised use under 13, while emphasizing platform safety features…
EU Consultation on tobacco products directive draws overwhelming opposition
According to an analysis published today by Path to Smoke-Free and We Are Innovation, more than 82,000 submissions were received from 138 countries.
Premium
Europe’s rising heat mortality increases fuel debate over air conditioning barriers
The study used epidemiological modelling based on daily temperature and mortality data across 32 countries.
Philip Morris International urges EU to treat tobacco like any other legal industry
The appeal comes as the European Commission prepares major reviews of tobacco taxation and product rules.
European Parliament backs ban on AI sexual abuse images and delays wider AI rules
The prohibition follows public anger over sexualised deepfake images that spread on social media.
EU air passenger rights reform on the brink of collapse
A marathon overnight trilogue session earlier this week ended without agreement deep in the night.
EP backs tighter screening of Chinese and Russian investment in EU strategic sectors
The sectors covered include defence, financial services, semiconductors, telecommunications, transport and raw materials.
Europe’s vape ban fantasy is fueling black markets and sending smokers back to cigarettes
The Dutch flavour ban was meant to protect public health. Instead, it exposes a deeper flaw in Brussels’ thinking: You cannot regulate demand out of existence.
EU age verification app to launch but concerns remain
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the Euroopean Union’s long-planned age verification app is now "technically ready to use", marking…
EU attacks vaping as ‘gateway to nicotine addictions’
Addiction experts are attacking the European Commission for a report on its tobacco control efforts which says novel nicotine products, such as vaping, are "pulling…
EU accuses four porn platforms of letting children access adult content
The European Union accused four pornographic platforms on Thursday of allowing children to access adult content in breach of digital rules, putting the companies…
European policies on smoking alternatives ‘block innovation and harm reduction’
Experts say that policies aimed at protecting the public against the negative effects of smoking have serious adverse effects, damaging public health.
EU lawmakers back ban on sexualised AI deepfakes
EU lawmakers today approved a ban on AI systems generating sexualised deepfakes, after a global outcry over non-consensual nudes created by Elon Musk's chatbot Grok.
Half of e-cigarettes in Europe are illegal and almost all come from China
Almost half of all e-cigarettes sold in Europe originate from irregular sources, with China supplying 90 per cent of these unregulated products, according to a study…
Strict passenger rights rules annually saved 8,400 years of delays, consumer organisations say
Brussels' plans to reform air-passenger compensation rights are being met with much scepticism from passenger rights organisations that adhere to the notion of "if…
‘Regulate platforms, not children’: Council of Europe criticises ban on social media for teens
Going against several European Union countries' moves to ban social media for teenagers, the Council of Europe criticised a possible blanket ban on social media,…
‘EU is trying to export its disastrous economic model,’ warn US lawmakers and industry
US lawmakers and industry groups are intensifying criticism of the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Chinese online giant Shein boycotts EP hearing on sale of illegal products
Chinese online fast-fashion retailer Shein has refused to attend a European Parliament hearing on the sale of illegal and unsafe products.
Danish EU Presidency and EC push for novel tobacco product bans, defying member states
Leaked negotiating documents from the Council of the European Union's Danish Presidency have exposed a controversial bid by the Danish Government and the European…
EU wants Amazon, Temu, Shein to check toys are not toxic
Online giants including Amazon, Temu, AliExpress and Shein will soon have to take "responsibility" for the safety of the toys they sell in the European Union under…