Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
1146. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland intends to seek Council conclusions on tobacco control during its Presidency; if so, the proposed scope of such conclusions; whether such conclusions would address the regulatory treatment of novel nicotine products; and whether she has consulted with other Member States on this matter. [32833/26]
View answerNo Council Conclusions on Tobacco Control are expected during Ireland's Presidency, as we are waiting the publication of the Revised Tobacco Products Directive by the European Commission in late 2026.
Ireland strongly supports the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive and has previously urged the Commission to publish a proposal as soon as possible. Irish priorities for the Directive, in line with our national policy, would be strong tobacco “endgame” measures to reach the EU’s target of a smoke free generation by 2040, a ban on cross-border distance sales, and harmonised regulation of all nicotine products to reduce youth use. While Ireland is developing domestic measures in these areas, EU-level regulation would have the greatest impact.
Ireland led on an AOB for the formal meeting of the EPSCO (Health) Council of 20 June 2025, on the "continued and urgent call for action at EU level to protect young people from harm caused by novel tobacco and nicotine products, in particular e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches", which was submitted with the support of Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.
I also discussed with the other Ministers of Health, "the impact of novel tobacco and nicotine products such as vapes and pouches on the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents", during the working lunch of the formal meeting of the EPSCO (Health) Council of 02 December 2025.
The ‘Safe Hearts’ Plan, published in December 2025, signalled that the European Commission will publish a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive in 2026. It is not expected before Q4, which is disappointing as this would have been a priority file for the Irish Presidency.
On 2 April 2026, the Commission published its Staff Working Document on the evaluation (see https://health.ec.europa.eu/tobacco/evaluation-legislative-framework-tobacco-control_en). The evaluation found that the EU rules on tobacco control have contributed to a significant decline in smoking and tobacco-related deaths across the EU, as well as supporting the internal market. At the same time, the evaluation highlights growing challenges linked to the rapid emergence of novel tobacco and nicotine products, particularly among young people.
On the basis of this evaluation, the Commission will now carry out an impact assessment and continue the wide-scale consultation process, in view of further policy actions Asset out in the Safe Hearts Plan, the Commission intends to propose, in 2026, a revision of the legislative framework on tobacco control.
Realistically the earliest we could expect to see a legislative proposal for a revision of the tobacco legislation is mid-December 2026 – too late for the Irish Presidency.
