The European Union is reportedly considering a ban on the production, import, distribution, and sale of filter cigarettes and e-cigarettes as part of its goal to cut smoking rates across the continent, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to the EU Council draft document. The proposed measures aim to implement recommendations from a World Health Organization (WHO) study group on tobacco product regulation.
According to the draft, the WHO explicitly advises banning filters to make cigarettes less appealing and reduce their attractiveness to consumers. The EU Council appears to support this recommendation, highlighting that such measures could significantly curb tobacco consumption. The proposal is scheduled for discussion during the WHO Conference on Tobacco Control (COP11) in Geneva in November.
EU Council recommendations could strongly influence future EU tobacco regulations and revisions of the Tobacco Products Directive. Product bans may be included, and since 95 percent of cigarettes sold in Germany have filters, this could effectively result in a near-total ban on cigarettes. The EU is also considering limiting sales in retail stores, gas stations, and kiosks to further reduce smoking and nicotine dependence.
Representatives of the German government reportedly welcomed the idea of a filter ban during the EU Council Working Group on Public Health meeting on October 9, where the proposal was first discussed. However, the EU’s unified position is still under negotiation, according to a spokesperson from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health. The WHO conference will take place from November 17 to 22 in Geneva.
Statistical data indicate that over a quarter of cancer-related deaths in Europe are linked to smoking, with secondhand smoke also contributing to increased cancer risk. By the end of 2024, the EU Commission set a target to reduce the share of smokers in the population to below five percent by 2040.
The EU Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, reportedly supports a ban on certain tobacco products, as noted by Austria’s Kronen-Zeitung. Nevertheless, smoking bans remain under the authority of national governments, and recommendations from Brussels do not automatically translate into immediate prohibitions across all 27 member states.
Earlier we wrote about why cigarettes with capsules are no longer available and what alternatives exist in 2025.
