The Tobacco Product Content & Regulations
The regulations cover the product design, characterizing flavors, the tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide
emission of cigarettes, Vitamins, additives, e-cigarette design and content.
Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU
The Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) came into force on 19 May 2014 and was implemented in EU
member states on 20 May 2016.The Directive establishes rules for the production, presentation and
sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products.These are cigarettes, roll your own tobacco, pipe
tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes and herbal products for
smoking.
In particular, as per the Directive;
- Prohibits cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco with characterizing flavors
- Compels tobacco companies to report to EU nations about ingredients of tobacco products
- Compels tobacco and tobacco-related products to carry health warnings: combined health
warnings (image, text and information on how to quit) must be placed on at least 65% of
the Front and rear of cigarette and roll-your-own tobacco packs.
- Dems minimum sizes for warnings and bans small packets for some tobacco products
- Prohibits promotional and deceptive features on tobacco products, e-cigarettes and
herbal smoking products
- Establishes EU-wide traceability and tracking to fight illicit trade in tobacco products
- Enables EU member states to ban online sales of tobacco and tobacco-related products
- Establishes safety, quality and notification standards for electronic cigarettes
- Requires manufacturers and importers to inform EU member states of new tobacco
Fire Safety Requirements for Cigarettes
The European Union adopted decision of 2008/264/EC on fire safety requirements to be met by European
standards for cigarettes under the product safety Directive 2001/95/EC. The Directive strictly
insisting;
- All cigarette manufactured and sold in the Europe were required to be complaint with the
standard that no more than 25% of a batch of cigarette specimens to be tested shall burn through
their whole length.
- Reduced ignition risk: Cigarettes include ultra-thin concentric bands or 'speed bumps' that
restrict
oxygen access to the burning end of the cigarettes, causing the cigarette to die out if not
'puffed'
by the user, lowering the risk of fire.
The Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products Regulations 2019
Amends UK legislation Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, Tobacco Advertising and Promotion
(Brandsharing) Regulations 2004, The Standardized Packaging of Tobacco Regulations 2015, The
Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015, and Tobacco and
Related Products Regulations 2016 and amends or repeals EU legislation 2015/1842, 2016/779,
2015/2183, 2015/2186, and 2016/786 all concerning tobacco packaging and labelling, product contents
and flavors, and advertising and promotion in light of UK’s EU exit; only provisions on product
contents and flavors included below
Made on April 18, 2016, UK-wide, but Scotland is debating whether to go further; went into effect on
May
20, 2016, with a sell-through period ending on May 21, 2017. TRPR 2016 is amended in light of
changes to
responsibilities under the EU Tobacco Products Directive. Specifically, transfers powers from EU
Commission to UK Government to oversee regulations, enforcement, and tobacco services in the UK,
ensuring compliance with evolving industry standards.
- Lower the upper emission limits of cigarettes and reform the measurement method of
levels
- Determine whether a tobacco product has a characterizingflavor
- Find out if a tobacco product contains prohibited additives and/or a dangerous quantity
of additives
Understanding these detailed regulations is essential for any entity involved in tobacco
testing in the UK.
