The current Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) was adopted almost twelve years ago. It introduced a range of tobacco control measures including a ban on misleading terms such as 'mild' or 'light' and introduced minimum sizes for health warnings. It also provides for optional pictorial warnings. The current directive was the subject of legal challenges by tobacco companies, but the courts upheld its validity.
Twelve years later, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the EU and kills around 700,000 people each year. While tobacco control measures have reduced the number of smokers in the EU, prevalence rates among young people (15-25) at 29% are higher than for the population as a whole. Evidence shows that 70% of smokers begin before their 18th birthday and in some countries, there is an upward trend for young smokers. The European Commission is therefore focussing much of its attention on measures which deter young people from smoking, such as tougher health warnings and bans on packages and flavourings which can be particularly attractive to young people. Despite opposition and numerous amendments to derail the reforms, the S&Ds' top priority is to prevent a new generation of smokers from being recruited.