17:00, October 13, ECCC collaborated with the 2FIRSTS (www.2firsts.com) and IEVA to conduct an online workshop on the "EU e-cigarette marketing guidelines" for the EU e-cigarette market. This training was a large-scale exchange between ECCC, 2FIRSTS and IEVA, with 92 enterprises participating online and offline.
Group photo of enterprises participating offline
This training aims to help Chinese enterprises understand the EU market regulatory rules, and help them to develop the market within the scope of compliance and law-abiding strategies.
IEVA Chairman Dustin giving the speech
At the training meeting, IEVA President Dustin briefly shared the EU regulations on e-cigarettes in his speech. Dustin said that companies in the e-cigarette industry should carry out appropriate marketing to help teach smokers the advantages of e-cigarettes. However, advertising must comply with the advertising principles, oppose misleading design, and protect minors are the obligations of all e-cigarette enterprises.
Some of the guidelines e-cigarette manufacturers under IEVA organization shall promise to abide by the following:
- E-Cigarette marketing should not make vaping seem appealing to minors.
- Health risks: Advertising messages and – pictures, which create the impression that the consumption of e-cigarettes is harmless, are prohibited.
- Warnings: E-cigarette advertisements must contain clear warnings and references that the ad is exclusively intended for adult smokers and vapers.
- Placement: E-cigarettes may not be advertised in establishments or at events which are mainly frequented by children and teenagers. A minimum distance of 100 meters must be maintained to the main entrance of schools.
- Appeal to minors: E-cigarette advertising abstains from using cartoon characters and other fictional characters that could trigger the interest of minors.
- Product design: The products must not be designed in any way to be particularly appealing to minors. Appealing in this context is the presentation using comic figures, the depiction of candies and generally any visual representation that can attract the attention of minors in a special way.
- Sports: E-cigarette advertising does without competitive sport motives.
- Inspection Authority: Manufacturers and dealers strive for the establishment of an independent control committee, which examines the adherence to the above-mentioned guidelines.
- Evaluation: Manufacturers and distributors regularly review these guidelines with regard to market developments and make adjustments if necessary.
The full guideline can be found on the IEVA website.
After sharing the content, Yao Jide, Chairman of ECCC, said in his speech that he was very grateful to 2FIRSTS to build a bridge between Chinese enterprises and the EU market, and timely conveying the relevant legal requirements of EU on e-cigarette products. Chinese enterprises will carry out production under the premise of protecting minors, and at the same time, they will earnestly follow local policies to develop the vaporizer industry healthily.
Through this training meeting, many domestic enterprises have clarified the specific guidelines and regulations of the European market, which plays a significant role in the formulation of the overseas strategy and the development of overseas markets for Chinese e-cigarette enterprises.
Previously, on September 29, 2FIRSTS was invited by IEVA to attend the 2022 Brussels Conference. Jason participated in the discussion and made a speech on China's regulatory policy as a representative.
The IEVA General Assembly in Brussels
On October 5, Ciprian Boboi, a board member of IEVA, invited the 2FIRSTS staff in person for a meeting. They reached a strategic cooperation agreement on the following:
1. IEVA cooperates with the 2FIRSTS websites to establish a European regulatory policy page and release the latest European e-cigarette regulatory policies in the form of Chinese and English;
2. 2FIRSTS will support IEVA in researching sustainability efforts for e-cigarette products.
Group photo of 2FIRSTS with IEVA Ciprian after the seminar in London
This training is only the beginning of good cooperation between IEVA and 2FIRSTS. 2FIRSTS has established a European media centre in Europe. In the future, 2FIRSTS will continue to promote information reporting in the European market, guide the development of enterprise compliance, improve the awareness of enterprises to protect minors with public opinion, and will also carry out more friendly cooperation with IEVA.
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