High tobacco taxes risk fueling illicit trade and undermining health goals, EESC says

High tobacco taxes risk fueling illicit trade and undermining health goals, EESC says

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has cautioned that abrupt or excessive increases in excise duties on tobacco and nicotine products could drive…

EESC’s call for ‘less harm, less tax’ approach on nicotine products

Brussels, 23 February 2026 – The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) draft opinion on the revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive (TED) calls on the EU to follow a risk‑based taxation approach and warns that excessively high, poorly designed taxes can fuel the illicit market, undermine public health goals and reduce legal tax revenues instead of cutting smoking. While the EESC supports revising the Directive to update the tax framew…