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Pouches are licensed-tobacconist-only, taxed, and subject to a €3,000 per-variant registration rule in Austria. JTI, PMI and Imperial say EU flavour bans would hand the market to smugglers.

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The Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia and Spain want the Commission to block any new nicotine product from entering the EU — and to let governments ban pouches outright. It lands weeks before a Tobacco Products Directive revision.

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The EU's tobacco consultation exposed a sharp divide over whether nicotine pouches should be treated like cigarettes or as a lower-risk alternative. More than 80% of responses opposed stricter rules, a Norwegian researcher calls a pouch ban unethical while cigarettes stay on shelves, and Sweden's snus success is the proof point.

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The World Health Organization published its first-ever global report on nicotine pouches, finding that 160 countries have no specific regulation while sales topped 23 billion units in 2024. WHO called for flavour bans, nicotine caps, and advertising restrictions — and told governments not to copy Sweden's hands-off model.

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The European Commission closed its 12-week consultation on revising the Tobacco Products Directive on 14 August 2026, drawing 39,795 responses — far more than the 25,000 initially reported. Poland alone accounted for 14,431. Nicotine pouches are explicitly named for possible EU-wide rules on flavours, nicotine content, packaging, and marketing. A legislative proposal is expected before the end of 2026.