Commissioner for Health, Olivér Várhelyi, announced that the European Commission will soon present a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, the Tobacco Advertisement Directive and the Tobacco Taxation Directive.

Revising these directives had long been foreseen but constantly postponed. In December 2024, sixteen Member States had already pushed for a revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive (link), whereas Italy, Greece and Romania had urged caution.

In March 2025, another call was made by eleven Member States urging the European Commission to revise the full package of legislation (link). The Ministers – led by the Netherlands – request urgent action to address youth nicotine use, cross-border online sales and social media marketing. They are particularly concerned with the use of e-cigarettes. On taxation, a leaked impact assessment already signalled that the European Commission is considering a tax hike on tobacco products of 258% (link).

These actions follow from joint lobbying efforts by over 120 societal organisations, including LuCE, who urged Ministers and the European Commission to revise the Directives, stating the following:

• Tobacco consumption remains the leading cause of preventable death in the EU, claiming over 700,000 lives annually and accounting for 27% of all cancer cases.
•  According to the 2024 Eurobarometer, traditional cigarette use among 15–24-year-olds has risen from 20% to 22% between 2020 and 2023. E-cigarette use increased from 4% to 6%, and the popularity of heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches continues to grow among young people.
• These alarming trends directly undermine the goal of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which aims to create a “Tobacco-Free Generation” by 2040. 

The following countries did not join the call to action, and therefore may be opposed to stricter legislation: Italy, Greece, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus.

Once the European Commission proposes the revisions, the Council of Ministers will have to decide, and it will be up to civil society organisations to push reluctant Member States to agree to stricter legislation.