EU adopts new tobacco regulations
22:49
MEPs adopted on Wednesday new EU tobacco rules which will regulate both standard and electronic cigarettes.
The new legislation will require large (covering 65 percent of packages) graphic warnings which will warn about hazards of smoking. Flavored cigarettes, such as menthol, will be banned, starting from 2016, however menthol cigarettes will have a four-year derogation to 2020.
The new regulations will also regulate electronic cigarettes. General rules will allow them to be sold widely as long as they meet certain safeguards, including the same advertising bans as for tobacco products, quality and safety standards, better labeling for consumers on nicotine content and dose and a cap on the nicotine strength.
Member states will be allowed to regulate them as medicine. Refillable cartridges will not be banned. However member states can ban specific types of cartridges, if the ban can be justified by safety concerns. Cartridge size will be capped at 2ml.
