EU Proposes Doubling Taxes on Cigarettes in Updated Tobacco Bill

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed a new bill that would more than double the minimum tax rate on cigarettes across the bloc, add new rates on popular products like nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, and include raw tobacco in the bill’s scope.

The commission is proposing raising the rates on cigarettes to €215 ($249) per 1,000 cigarettes, from a current rate of €90. On heated tobacco products, it proposes charging either 55% of the retail selling price or a rate of €108 per 1,000 items.

For nicotine pouches, the commission recommended charging 25% of the ...