This decision stems from the European Commission’s Tobacco Control Framework Evaluation, which found that existing legislation is increasingly outdated. While smoking rates have fallen from 28 percent to 24 percent of adults across the EU, around one in four Europeans still smoke and roughly 700.000 people die from tobacco-related diseases each year.
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The proposed revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive would increase minimum excise duties on cigarettes by 139 percent, introduce EU-wide taxes on new nicotine products for the first time, and extend the bloc’s tracking system to raw tobacco to combat illicit trade.
Consumption is shifting away from traditional cigarettes towards products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco devices like IQOS and nicotine pouches. The World Health Organisation reports that 11.6 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds in the European region now use these products. Health experts warn that, while they may expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes, they are not risk-free, remain addictive and are increasingly marketed through flavours, social media and youth-oriented branding.
The tax proposal remains controversial. In June 2026, the European Parliament failed to adopt a non-binding opinion after MEPs rejected a watered-down report, divided over the scale of the reforms. The legislative process continues, as tax legislation is decided by the Council of the European Union, where all 27 member states must agree unanimously.
Should the proposal go through? Will implementing it curb smoking in the EU? Our poll is anonymous and takes only a few seconds to complete. The results will be featured across EU-wide XL coverage, in videos, articles and newsletters, and will help shape our reporting as we examine how Europe can secure its position in the age of artificial intelligence.
