IEA - TPD: Regulatory overreach from the EU

5 May 2016 09:32 AM

IEA reaction to ECJ ruling on e-cigarette advertising

Commenting on the decision by the ECJ to uphold a law that will standardise packaging and ban the advertising of e-cigarettes, Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs said: 

"There is no good reason why Britain shouldn't be able to set its own policy on issues like e-cigarettes, nor is there any reason why e-cigarettes should be caught in a Directive about tobacco. It's silly to pretend this ruling is about market harmonisation when several countries ban e-cigarettes and several other countries are gold-plating the Directive by bringing in plain packaging. 

"No member state has seriously considered banning menthol cigarettes and yet the EU has decided to go ahead with an EU-wide ban anyway. It's a dog's dinner of a Directive. It may be legal under EU law but that doesn't make it right."

Notes to editors:

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