As part of the review of the EU Tobacco Products Directive, regulation of nicotine pouches will be proposed based on the experience of European countries, - Vice President of Regulatory Policy at Philip Morris International Agnieszka Wyszyńska-Szulc
In an interview with the InfoMarket agency, she said that today the EU Tobacco Products Directive does not ban nicotine pouches and does not provide for their regulation; each EU country has the right to do this independently. According to Agnieszka Wyszyńska-Szulc, Vice President Regulatory, Product and ESG Policy, External Affairs at Philip Morris International, most EU countries already regulate this segment using standards similar to those in effect for other smokeless products: "We are not talking about bans, but about comprehensive regulation: age restrictions, labeling requirements, nicotine content restrictions and tax policy. This approach is already being used in Poland, Romania, Finland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and other countries." Agnieszka Wyszyńska-Szulc also noted that along with regulation, countries are also introducing excise taxes on nicotine pouches, and the number of these countries is growing. She emphasized that, as part of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive, regulation of this product will be proposed in accordance with the current approach used in EU countries. In her opinion, the intention of the Moldovan Ministry of Health to completely ban nicotine pouches may lead to the growth of the shadow market and contradicts the approaches used in EU countries. A complete ban, according to Wyszyńska-Szulc, creates conditions for illegal turnover. An example is Belgium, where, despite the formal ban, a recent inspection revealed that more than 300 retail outlets continue to sell pouches. "In this country, the authorities are losing control, and the market is dominated by illegal sellers selling tobacco products of dubious quality," she emphasized. Agnieszka Wyszyńska-Szulc believes that effective tobacco control is impossible without a comprehensive and reasonable approach: "To stimulate smoking cessation, incentives for switching to alternative products are needed. They cannot be regulated in the same way as cigarettes - this undermines the entire concept of harm reduction." According to her, the example of a number of countries, such as Japan and New Zealand, has proven that differentiated policies bring results in the form of a significant reduction in the consumption of traditional cigarettes and a decrease in the shadow sale of tobacco products. "Where they regulate, rather than prohibit, the consumption of tobacco products decreases," concluded the representative of Philip Morris International, adding that the use of a comprehensive and reasonable approach involving all ministries and departments allows the state to balance both immediate benefits and the impact of such decisions on the future health of the country's population and economic development.// 28.05.2025 – InfoMarket.
