After the European Commission made the decision to exclude tobacco - related legislation from its 2025 work program, Dutch junior health minister Vincent Karremans penned a letter to EU health chief Olivér Várhelyi. In the letter, he stated that the choice to postpone the legislation on new nicotine products was "detrimental". Karremans then called on Várhelyi to take "resolute" steps to safeguard the health of young people.


The Dutch government is also advocating for the EU to set up a legal framework regarding the cross - border distance sales of new tobacco products. They contend that such sales enable consumers to evade national restrictions. As reported by the European news website Euractiv, the Dutch health ministry is pressing Brussels to enforce "comprehensive limitations on flavors, set maximum nicotine levels, and mandate plain packaging" for e - cigarettes and other nicotine products.


Back in 2023, Dutch Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in support of a motion put forward by the Democrats 66 party, which aimed to impose a tax on e - cigarettes and vapes. However, officials have indicated that this tax is unlikely to be implemented before 2029. The Netherlands has already prohibited flavored vaping liquids. Nevertheless, the nation is still grappling with a sharp increase in vaping among teenagers. Health ministers attribute this trend to the allure of flavors for young people.