Key points:
- Bulgaria may implement a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes by 2025.
- The legal revisions aim to protect minors and prevent underage individuals from accessing e-cigarettes.
- The policy may lead to illicit trading and legal disputes with the European Union.
According to a report from Plovdiv24 on March 26th, Bulgaria is considering implementing a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes, which is expected to be enforced in 2025. The current regulatory framework for e-cigarettes in Bulgaria follows EU directives, which restrict the nicotine concentration in e-liquids and require packaging to contain 30% warning text, alerting users to the highly addictive nature of nicotine in the product.
Starting from March 2023, e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine will be subject to consumption tax just like traditional tobacco products. In October of the same year, all nicotine products will be required to have tax stamps. In 2024, this requirement will extend to certain nicotine-free e-cigarette liquids to enhance market regulation.
In July 2024, the Bulgarian parliament revised the Child Protection Act, banning individuals under the age of 18 from using e-cigarettes containing nicotine or non-nicotine substances, as well as heated tobacco products. Following a series of safety incidents involving minors at the beginning of 2025, societal and political pressure in Bulgaria increased significantly, leading to stricter legislation regarding e-cigarettes.
On February 12, 2025, the Bulgarian Parliament passed a first reading of a law that prohibits the sale, promotion, and distribution of any form of e-cigarettes, whether or not they contain nicotine. The motivation behind the law is that existing measures have not effectively prevented minors from accessing e-cigarettes, while the unregulated substances found in e-cigarette liquids (such as tetrahydrocannabinol and hexahydrocannabinol) are seen as risky.
The second reading is expected to take place in the spring of 2025, and the Bulgarian government has stated that they may propose increased regulation measures for online trading and illegal markets.
Despite warnings from various parties that the ban could lead to a surge in online illegal transactions, Bulgaria may still become the second EU country after Belgium to ban disposable e-cigarettes altogether. However, this could also spark legal disputes with the EU if it deems the ban to violate commercial principles.
As of March 2025, Bulgaria is currently in a transitional period in terms of regulations. Despite the fact that the sale of e-cigarettes is still legal, the country is moving towards a complete ban with the passing of a new law.
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