Tobacco for oral use, except those intended to be smoked or chewed, is banned within the EU since 1992.
As Swedish snus is neither smoked nor chewed it is prohibited. Upon Sweden’s entry into the EU 1995, the country was granted a permanent exemption from the ban on snus. Cigarettes and other types of traditional smokeless tobacco products including Asian /African types, chewing tobacco, and nasal snuff are legally sold within the EU.
The Swedish Retail Institute, commissioned by the Swedish Trade Federation, recently assessed the economical impact the ban has caused the Swedish economy. They concluded that the annual loss in export revenues amounted to at least 300 MEUR and the total loss of export revenues since 1995 amounted to 3,000 MEUR. The report also concluded that the Swedish food exports would potentially increase with 10 percent should snus be legalized in Europe. The Swedish Government and the Swedish Parliament oppose the ban on grounds that the ban is disproportionate and discriminatory. The ban is unpopular among the public in Sweden and is a recurring issue in Swedish EU elections.
Twenty years after the first ban on Swedish snus was introduced in the EU and 15 years after Sweden joined the EU, Swedish snus has still not been assessed on its own merits, despite the abundance of scientific reports citing the favorable risk profile of Swedish snus use compared to other, currently legal, tobacco products. The Commission is currently undertaking a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive 2001/37/EC, with the aim of improving the functioning of the internal market and the health of the EU population. An integral part of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive is the Regulatory Impact Assessment, which is currently being carried out. Swedish Match expects the Commission to present to the European Parliament and to the European Council a new proposed Tobacco Products Directive end of 2011.
Swedish Match is of the opinion that:
- The current EU ban on Swedish snus lacks a justified reasoning and is both discriminatory and disproportionate
- The current EU ban on Swedish snus is a violation of the free trade principle and distorts the function of the internal market
- The ban on snus denies adult European smokers access to a traditional and viable non-combustible tobacco alternative that is scientifically well documented
- All smokeless tobacco products should be subject to a consistent and non competitive product regulation based on product quality and consumer protection
Page updated May 16, 2011