SMOKE FREE PARTNERSHIP POLICY MATERIALS

On 16 July 2025, the European Commission released its proposal to revise the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED). This proposal marks the starting point of a political process, requiring agreement from all EU Member States. If adopted, the revised TED will enter into force on 1 January 2028. With this policy brief, Smoke Free Partnership highlights the main public health considerations linked to the proposal and sets out key recommendations to ensure that the reform supports strong, coherent and effective tobacco control across the European Union.

Policy Brief - Ukraine’s experience reveals how tobacco companies are adapting to tax reforms by manipulating pricing strategies, particularly concerning heated tobacco products (HTPs) and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Findings of this new research provide critical insights for EU policymakers by highlighting the benefit of consistent excise policies across tobacco products and Member States.

SFP Advocacy Toolkit on Taxation 2025.

With a new European Parliament and a new college of Commissioners, the process of renewal of the European Union Tobacco Tax Directive should resume without further delay. Research in the Economics for Health (formerly Tobacconomics) series evaluated the European Commission’s likely lines of reform, as per an unofficial draft that has circulated since late 2022, identifying areas where reasonable enhancements could boost its public health impact. This brief discusses these enhancements and illustrates their effects vis-à-vis the Directive currently in force and the Commission’s Draft. While the delay in the policy process is unfortunate, there is a window of opportunity to push for the enhancements presented herein, so that the next Directive becomes a pillar of Europe’s Beating Cancer plan.

SFP's tax expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Working Paper on the effects of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD) on novel products and combustibles. The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely.  

SFP's Tax Expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Policy Brief on the effects of the unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD) on novel products and combustibles. The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

Based on the data presented in this Policy Brief, SFP has produced the following infographics. 

This toolkit aims to support SFP Coalition Partners and other CSOs working on public health and tobacco control in developing and implementing advocacy campaigns to influence national tobacco tax policy. 

L'expert fiscal de la SFP, le Professeur Ángel López-Nicolás de l'Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena en Espagne, a publié cette Note Politique sur l'effet d'un projet non officiel de la Directive Révisée sur la Taxe sur le Tabac (Tobacco Tax Directive, TTD) de la Commission Européenne. La TTD révisée devait être lancée en décembre 2022, mais elle a été reportée indéfiniment. 

SFP's tax expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Working Paper on the effect of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD). The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

SFP's Tax Expert Professor Ángel López-Nicolás from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain published this Policy Brief on the effect of an unofficial draft of the European Commission's revised Tobacco Tax Directive (TTD). The revised TTD was expected to launch in December 2022 but has been postponed indefinitely. 

Brussels, 23 June 2021: Our newly published paper contains SFP’s policy proposals for the revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive 2011/64/EU.

The European Commission consultation focused on updating the rules for tobacco and alcohol bought abroad and improving the misuse of existing cross-border arrangements for such purchases.

The European Commission roadmap focused on updating the rules for tobacco and alcohol bought abroad and improving the misuse of existing cross-border arrangements for such purchases.

SFP's latest Mythbuster is offering argumentation, key facts and figures that disprove six misconceptions on tobacco taxation.

In September 2018, SFP submitted an updated Position Paper on tobacco taxation to the European Commission's consultation on the possible revision of the Tobacco Tax Directive. The latest updated version of the paper, titled Tobacco Tax for a Healthier Europe, can be downloaded further below. 

Sofia, Bulgaria: following the roundtable organised by SFP in conjunction with the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU on 25-26 April 2018, the report below captures the key discussion points from the meeting.

Read SFP's position paper on revision of the Council Directive 2011/64/EU regarding Excises Duties for Tobacco Products.

20-21 June 2016. SFP together with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease,  held a 2-day Capacity Building Seminar that took place in Bratislava. The aim of this seminar was to strengthen the training developed by SFP in previous years in order to effectively support national, European and international policy initiatives in line with Articles 6 (taxation) and 15 (illicit trade) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as well as the EU approach with regards to taxation and illicit trade.

30 September- 1 October 2015. SFP organised this high level conference in the city of Leuven in Belgium. Bringing together tobacco tax experts, European Commission officials from DG TAXUD, DG SANTE and OLAF as well as MEPs and the tobacco control community, this conference provided an opportunity to discuss the different perspectives on tobacco taxation and illicit trade (Articles 6 and 15 of the FCTC).

3-4 September 2008. The Smokefree Partnership, together with its partners and the Association of European Cancer Leagues, organised a two-day workshop in Leuven, Belgium.