With a new European Parliament and a new college of Commissioners, the process of renewal of the European Union Tobacco Tax Directive should resume without further delay. Research in the Economics for Health (formerly Tobacconomics) series evaluated the European Commission’s likely lines of reform, as per an unofficial draft that has circulated since late 2022, identifying areas where reasonable enhancements could boost its public health impact. This brief discusses these enhancements and illustrates their effects vis-à-vis the Directive currently in force and the Commission’s Draft. While the delay in the policy process is unfortunate, there is a window of opportunity to push for the enhancements presented herein, so that the next Directive becomes a pillar of Europe’s Beating Cancer plan.