Overview
- The Irish EU‑presidency paper recommends cutting the informal personal‑use cigarette guideline from 800 to 200 and reducing allowed e‑liquid imports from 100 ml to 40 ml, a proposal EU finance ministers were due to consider on Monday.
- The limits form part of a wider revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive that would introduce EU minimum excise rates and must be transposed by member states before key rules take effect in early 2028.
- The 200‑cigarette number is presented as a guideline rather than an automatic ban, and national governments can set higher domestic free‑allowances or apply different enforcement practices.
- Tobacco industry groups warn tighter benchmarks could boost smuggling and the illicit market by incentivising illegal supply, while some vaping trade groups and retailers support the lower 40 ml liquid cap as leveling the playing field.
- How the rules change daily life will depend on national decisions and customs capacity: border shoppers could face more checks, some cross‑border bargain buying may fall, and retailers and tax receipts could be affected differently across member states.