Overview

• A Council draft recommends prohibiting the manufacture, import and sale of filter cigarettes, citing limited health benefits from filters and environmental harm from filter waste.
• Reporting says e‑cigarettes and single‑use vapes are included in the measures under discussion and could be removed from the market.
• The package also contemplates limiting points of sale and creating a cohort-based sales ban to advance a so‑called smoke‑free generation.
• Media outlets report support from the European Commission and a welcoming signal from Germany in an EU working group, with decisions expected to be negotiated at COP11 in Geneva from 17 to 22 November.
• In Germany, where about 95% of cigarettes sold have filters, a ban would effectively take most conventional cigarettes off the market if adopted.