European cancer community urges EU economic and finance ministers to back ambitious tobacco tax policy

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable cancer in Europe, responsible for 27% of all cancer cases. A new World Health Organization (WHO) report released earlier this week shows that one in four adults in Europe continues to use tobacco - the highest rates worldwide. The report’s figures on the use of e-cigarettes, a potential gateway to traditional cigarette smoking, are also alarming: an estimated 4.2 million children (13-15 years) in Europe already use e-cigarettes, fuelling a new nicotine-addicted generation.

Research shows that price increases, such as those put forward by the European Commission’s proposal to revise the Tobacco Taxation Directive (TTD), are among the most effective strategies to reduce tobacco consumption. Importantly, the TTD proposal expands the legislation’s scope to include novel and emerging products like vapes and nicotine pouches, which have so far remained untaxed under EU law despite their growing popularity, especially among young people.  

At the same time, the cancer community underlines the growing concern that Europe’s ambitions for cancer prevention and care are at risk of being scaled back. Mechanisms like the Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource (TEDOR) are estimated to create €11.2 billion annually in new EU revenue - funds that could significantly strengthen the EU health budget without requiring additional national contributions, bolstering efforts to combat cancer and other major public health challenges.

'Fighting tobacco means fighting cancer. Without stronger and faster legislative action, the EU risks losing decades of progress. Bold tobacco taxation is one of Europe’s most powerful tools to protect the most vulnerable – especially children and young people. We urge EU governments to support the European Commission’s ambitious proposals and stand firm against industry pressure,' says Wolfgang Fecke, Executive Director at the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL).

'The new moves by the European Commission on tobacco control are vital. Every day, more Europeans become addicted to this leading, preventable cause of cancer. We now need decisive action – not only at the EU level, but matched by EU Member States as well – if we are to remove smoking, including vaping, as a public health scourge and take tobacco elimination to the next level', says Csaba Dégi, President, European Cancer Organisation (ECO).