New Smoking Regulations in Spain Under EU Review

Key points:

1. The new smoking regulations in Spain are under scrutiny by EU member countries, which may affect when the policy will be implemented.

2. Tobacco industry criticizes new regulations for lack of parliamentary discussion, which could result in the expansion of illegal markets and investment withdrawal.

2Firsts, reporting from Shenzhen - The smoke control measures introduced by the Spanish Ministry of Health are currently under review by the European Union and are expected to be completed by April 28th, The Objective reported.

This proposal was submitted to the European Commission's specific TRIS notification system on January 24, responsible for assessing the transparency and compatibility of technical standards. 

During this period, the European Commission and its member states reviewed a project proposed by Spanish Minister of Health Mónica García, which focuses on restricting the use of flavors in e-cigarettes. If no objections are raised by April 28, the Ministry of Health will be able to initiate the process of approving the regulation. 

However, if a member state raises objections, the review process will be extended by three months.

This means that if faced with opposition, the measure may not be implemented until the second half of this year at the earliest. Industry insiders point out that the policy, enacted through royal decree, circumvents necessary parliamentary debate, which lacks transparency.

The tobacco industry is urging other countries to protest these measures in order to align Spain's policies more closely with European public health strategies. Industry representatives point out that the current Spanish Law 28/2005 does not cover flavored nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, and they argue that regulation should be done through legislation rather than decrees. 

Additionally, banning flavors will likely force many consumers to turn to the illegal market or traditional tobacco products, undermining efforts to reduce the harm of tobacco.

According to a research report by Sigma Dos, e-cigarettes with fruit and sweet flavors are particularly popular among consumers, and in countries where flavor bans have been implemented, the majority of users still obtain flavored e-cigarettes through illegal means. 

A study by the Tholos Foundation also found that in Estonia, Denmark, and California, 58%, 80%, and 89% of consumers, respectively, continue to use banned flavored e-cigarettes.

Industry insiders warn that a ban on flavorings will lead tobacco companies to withdraw research and investment in new products, resulting in a resurgence of traditional cigarettes. 

Th report from International Financial Analysts (AFI) suggests that  this will lead to a decrease of over 83% in the value added to e-cigarette products, dropping from €263 million to €54 million. The number of full-time employees will decrease sharply from 4,630 to 810, resulting in the loss of 3,820 jobs in the short term and over 8,000 job losses by the end of the century.