The EU’s Tobacco Products Directive Public Consultation on oral tobacco drew nearly 18,000 responses. A recent analysis examines the public’s feedback, policy issues and critiques the consultation’s approach, highlighting concerns about inclusiveness and potential biases in considering EU citizen responses.

The EU’s recent public consultation on the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), focusing on oral tobacco products like snus and nicotine pouches, received 17,725 responses. 

Gain insights into the public’s perspective with our comprehensive interactive dashboard, which presents the collected data and responses from the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive Public Consultation.

This consultation is part of the EU Commission’s effort to gather stakeholder feedback, including from EU citizens. It aims to inform tobacco regulation updates, focusing on public health and sales/marketing rules.

EU Commission’s TPD Consultation Shaping Europe’s Tobacco Policies

Active EU citizen and stakeholder participation in the consultation reflects a joint effort in shaping Europe’s tobacco policies. Key findings highlight concerns such as the sale and visibility of oral tobacco products.

However, the lack of health-related questions for EU citizens in the surveys points to gaps in the process, necessitating attention in future policy discussions.

Here are the five key results of the EU Commission’s TPD Consultation:

1. Response Volume: The consultation received 17,725 responses, indicating significant public and stakeholder engagement.
   
   
2. Response Distribution: The majority of responses, 87.9% (15,588), came from EU citizens. Company/business stakeholders contributed to 8.5% or 1,499 of the responses.
   
   
3. Questionnaire Content: The five surveys varied for different groups. But they notably lacked questions on nicotine pouch health risks for EU citizens.
   
   
4. Public Health and Sales Locations: Respondents largely opposed selling nicotine products near schools and supported existing visibility regulations at sales points.
   
   
5. Consultation Inclusiveness: The exclusion of health-related questions for EU citizens raises concerns about the consultation’s comprehensiveness and inclusiveness.
   

What the EU Commission’s TPD Consultation Means Going Forward

The consultation’s outcomes emphasize the need for more inclusive, unbiased EU Commission policy discussions. These need to ensure all voices, particularly consumers’, are heard for effective tobacco regulation. Snusforumet continue to share updates about these developments.

For a deeper understanding, view the interactive dashboard detailing the responses and data from the consultation.