Health ministers from all 27 European Union member states are meeting to discuss proposals to restrict flavors of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, Vaping360 reported on June 21st. Their position could lead to stricter e-cigarette regulations for millions of European nicotine consumers. One of the European Commission's 10 "institutions", the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Committee (EPSCO), will consider Latvia's and Denmark's proposals in support of an EU-wide ban on flavors and a crackdown on cross-border sales. Latvia's paper was also supported by delegations from Cyprus, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. The Danish proposal was endorsed by Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. If the health ministers reach consensus support for the proposals, the next step will be to ask the European Commission to propose draft legislation, which will ultimately be voted on by the Council and the European Parliament. In the process, national elections could soften or strengthen support for the taste ban in different countries.
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