Leaked EU Paper Suggests COP11 Push to Ban Nicotine Pouches and Flavoured Nicotine Products

Key Takeaways：
 

· EU internal paper: Plans to push the toughest framework to date for nicotine and tobacco control at COP11.

· Main measures: Full ban on nicotine pouches; prohibition of all flavoured products; reversal of burden of proof; restrictions on comparative claims; tighter environmental prohibitions.

· Industry concerns: Could undermine harm-reduction progress and spur a return to cigarettes; criticised as running counter to scientific evidence.

· COP11 as inflection point: The EU’s stance could shape global regulation of nicotine products.

2Firsts, 10 October 2025 — Citing a leaked European Commission document, Pouch Patrol reports that the Commission is drafting a comprehensive regulatory framework covering tobacco and nicotine products. The framework would constitute the EU’s official position at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) COP11, to be held in Switzerland this November.

The document indicates that the Commission’s proposals go well beyond the scope of recommendations from the FCTC Secretariat, drawing intense attention and controversy within the sector. Multiple stakeholders worry the move could erode public-health gains achieved in Europe on harm reduction and tobacco control.

Key Points of the Internal Document

According to the report, the proposal includes the following measures:

· Full ban on nicotine pouches — seen as a direct blow to products viewed as effective alternatives for smokers seeking to quit;

· Ban on flavours across all tobacco and nicotine products — potentially weakening incentives for smokers to switch to lower-risk products;

· Reversal of the burden of proof and introduction of criminal liability — in the event of health claims, manufacturers and retailers would bear primary responsibility and could face class actions or criminal penalties;

· Strict environmental rules — a proposed ban on all filters (including biodegradable ones) and single-use plastics, affecting nicotine-pouch canisters and pouch materials;

· Ban on cross-product comparative claims — limiting disclosure of differences in ingredients or emissions.

“Control” or “Backsliding”? Rising Criticism from the Industry

The report says experts argue these measures are not merely technical adjustments but a fundamental reversal of public-health and harm-reduction approaches.

In recent years, smoking rates have fallen markedly in Europe, the United States and New Zealand; a key factor has been allowing lower-risk products (such as snus and nicotine pouches) onto the market. However, the Commission’s plan is criticised as potentially undoing years of progress and even prompting a rebound in cigarette consumption.

Several countries, including the Czech Republic, Italy and Sweden, have publicly recognised the public-health value of harm-reduction products, yet the EU-level process now appears to diverge from some member states’ positions.

The European Commission also acknowledges that more independent research is needed to underpin such major regulatory changes, but its policy timetable is said to be outpacing the cadence of scientific assessment.

Looking Ahead to COP11: The EU’s Stance Could Set the Global Tone

According to the report, the proposal is expected to be tabled at COP11 in Switzerland in November 2025, where EU health ministers will determine the bloc’s formal negotiating position.

If adopted, Europe could enter a new cycle of regulatory tightening, with impacts ranging from nicotine pouches and flavoured vaping products to packaging materials and environmental rules.

Observers note that this policy debate concerns more than the tobacco industry: it is a major test of public-health strategy, scientific evidence and policy transparency.

2Firsts will continue to follow developments around COP11 and EU regulatory moves.

Cover image credit: Kreiszeitung