United for a Strong EU Tobacco Excise
Europe’s leading health and patient organisations stand together ahead of the ECOFIN Council on 10 October 2025, urging EU finance ministers to back a robust update of the EU’s tobacco excise rules. More than 100 organisations support this call.
Tobacco remains one of Europe’s leading preventable killers, and price is the single most effective tool to reduce use, especially among young people. A stronger, automatically updated excise framework will help millions quit or never start while ensuring fair competition and predictable revenues for Member States.
This joint public statement asks ministers to raise EU-wide minimum excise rates, cover all nicotine products (e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches), introduce regular indexation to keep the policy effective, tighten raw-tobacco controls, and reduce cross-border price gaps—measures that protect health, strengthen the Single Market, and safeguard budgets.
