Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- A coalition of 201 companies, associations and organizations from Europe's tobacco and nicotine value chain has appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to change course on pending EU regulation. The German industry association BVTE backs the initiative, which is dated November 3, 2026.
Three EU files converge before year-end
The Commission plans to table proposals by the end of the year to revise the Tobacco Products Directive and the Tobacco Advertising Directive. Meanwhile, the Irish Council presidency is pushing for agreement on the Tobacco Tax Directive at the ECOFIN Council on November 9.
The signatories warn that the burdens from the individual projects will compound one another and endanger investment, innovation and employment in Europe. They call for science-based, proportionate decisions that account for economic consequences.
Sector claims 350,000 jobs in Germany and 1.5 million in the EU
According to the appeal, the sector secures around 350,000 jobs in Germany. The figure spans tobacco growing, suppliers, service providers, small and large manufacturers, and thousands of retailers.
EU-wide, the industry secures more than 1.5 million jobs and contributes roughly €195 billion annually to EU gross domestic product. It also generates more than €107 billion in excise and value-added tax.
BVTE Managing Director Jan Mücke said competitiveness must become the yardstick for the Commission's regulatory proposals, including those affecting the tobacco sector.
Illicit trade already costs roughly €13 billion in lost tax a year
The signatories criticize a policy that relies one-sidedly on bans, restrictions and paternalism toward consumers. They argue it would expand illegal trade and open additional revenue streams for organized crime.
About one in ten cigarettes consumed in the EU already comes from illicit sources, and annual tax losses are put at around €13 billion. The signatories say new measures must be tested for whether they push consumers into the black market and further burden enforcement authorities.
The point carries particular weight for Germany, the appeal says, given the recently adopted sharp increases in tobacco tax. Mücke said anyone seeking to protect health must not deliver customers to the black market.
The 201 organizations have offered the Commission constructive participation in the upcoming regulatory projects.