Brussels, 20 May 2021: SFP welcomes the implementation report on the EU Tobacco Products Directive and calls for a swift and efficient review of its provisions, which will further help a decrease in tobacco use.

Key issues:

• A revision of the TPD will be needed to support the Commission’s target for a tobacco free Europe by 2040. The TPD provisions should be strengthened with respect to labelling, misleading products features, flavours, in particular by the introduction of mandatory plain packaging across EU Member States and by banning cross-border distance sale of tobacco products across the EU.
• There is a need to provide Member States with a clearer legislative and implementation framework to ensure effective enforcement, particularly on product design, ingredients and features, and on harmonising marketing pathways. For this purpose, the definitions of tobacco and related products should be harmonised across EU legislation.
• There is an urgent need to introduce a definition for heated tobacco products (HTPs) and subject them to the full effect of the Tobacco Products Directive
• In the revision of the Directive, the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) should be duly observed, in particular Article 5.3 and its Guidelines to secure the independence from the tobacco industry, particularly for the traceability system.