Swexit, VETO and the demand that "Sweden should lead by example" and advocate harm minimisation as the basis for taxing smokeless nicotine products in relation to smoking tobacco. These are the main messages from Swedish politicians, smokeless nicotine users and industry representatives following the EU's announcement on the new Tobacco Excise Tax Directive.
Vejpkollen has been following the goings-on surrounding the proposed revision of the EU's Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) since speculation began in earnest for almost four years ago. There has been a lot of interest in the issue, not least on social media where articles and white snus and an upcoming tax shock raises both concern and anger. The rumours of a new excise duty on nicotine pouches turned out to be true: the European Commission wants to use taxes on new smokeless nicotine products to finance a sharp increase in the cost of operations between 2028 and 2034. For Swedish consumers, this would mean a sharp increase in the price of a pack of nicotine pouches - according to some estimates, more than SEK 20 per pack.
"A good tool to quit smoking"
A look at the comments section of recent articles shared on social media shows a clear negative attitude towards the EU in general, but also a strong defence of the role of snus in harm reduction. Often in a slightly less diplomatic tone.
"In other words, the EU's intelligence shines through. White snus is a great substitute and a great tool to get people to quit smoking, with all the benefits that brings. This hardly feels like a victory for public health. Fucking idiots, that's what they are," said Magnus Bernhardsson, a local snus user, in a comment.
"An attack on Sweden"
Sweden's Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (m) reacted by saying that the proposed taxes are "unacceptable" from a Swedish perspective and promised to "fight for snus" in the upcoming negotiations. Foreign Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa (m) calls the taxes an "attack on the Swedish way of life"
"This is an extreme tax increase. You could be paying several thousand kronor a year to Brussels instead of keeping it in your own wallet. It is completely unacceptable. It's an attack on the Swedish way of life." he tells the newspaper Expressen.
"Say no to the whole budget"
Several other Swedish EU politicians have also reacted to the new proposal in various media.
Charlie Weimers (MEP for the Sweden Democrats and ECR) predicts that Sweden will put its foot down by refusing to participate in the negotiations as long as the snus tax remains part of the proposal.
"It is a start. But Sweden should go further and reject this proposal completely. The EU should not be allowed to decide and collect taxes from individual countries, it would give the Commission much more power than it has today. However, the risk is that the snus tax will become a tactical negotiating weapon for the Commission instead, so that Sweden will let other things through." he said in an interview with the Swedish media platform Riks.
"Sabotaging Swedish tobacco policy"
Jessica Polfjärd, a Swedish MEP, is also calling on the European Commission to withdraw its proposal.
"The European Commission's proposal for a tax on white snus is an unacceptable tax hit for Swedish snus users. The Commission should learn from Swedish tobacco policy, not sabotage it. Swedish snus users cannot be expected to pick up the EU's tab. The Commission must withdraw the proposal" she writes in a post on X.
Less drama around snus in Denmark
In Denmark, the use of nicotine pouches is not as widespread as in Sweden. Nicotine pouches have recently been taxed at EUR 110 (approximately DKK 1100) per kilo, which is much closer to the EUR 140 proposed by the Commission. The tax is also significantly higher than in Sweden, where it stands at €20 per kilo. The same applies to e-liquid, which is at the same level as the EU proposal (€200 or €400 per litre).
Nicotine tax on nicotine-free
The situation is worse for nicotine-free e-liquid, known as longfills, and there is a lack of clarity about base liquids (glycerine and propylene glycol). The maximum volume of a longfill is 20 ml in Denmark, while there is no legal limit in Sweden. The system of buying nicotine-free concentrated e-liquid and mixing it with nicotine yourself is widespread in Denmark (as well as in Sweden and the rest of the EU).
"Great hypocrisy"
Kim Dabelstein Petersen, chairman of the consumer organisation DADAFO, says that taxes on nicotine-free e-liquids are essentially an "absurd proposal". The Commission's investigators argue that e-liquids "that can be mixed with nicotine" should be taxed as if they contained nicotine. The aim is to reduce what they call "home mixing".
"But we don't know what is meant here. Does it also apply to base liquids such as vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol? What about flavourings? Today, you can buy these products in everything from health food shops and hobby shops to pharmacies and vejp shops. I can't imagine anyone wanting to burden food companies or pharmaceutical companies with excise duties on substances found in virtually all their products. In that case, should the tax only apply in vejp shops? If so, this shows a great deal of hypocrisy on the part of the decision-makers", says Kim Dabelstein Petersen to Vejpkollen's Danish equivalent Vapetjek.
Leads to more insecure DIY
He argues that ill-conceived taxes on products that Brussels lawmakers do not fully understand will soon lead to increased 'home-growing' of uncontrolled products. With all that entails.
"People will soon realise that you can get ingredients from places other than vejpshops. This will lead to a huge grey market where product safety will be practically zero," says Kim Dabelstein Petersen. "Is this really what legislators want?"
"Go all in on harm minimisation"
Similar criticism comes from Swedish e-juice manufacturers and retailers. Linus Koyuki Gustafsson, who runs several online sites that primarily sell nicotine-free e-liquid, says that the Swedish negotiations should be based on removing both the tax on nicotine pouches and the tax on nicotine-free e-liquids from the budget and off the negotiating table.
"Our Finance Minister needs to take this seriously and defend all smoke-free products, not just nicotine pouches. If she stands for more harm reduction in the nicotine market, she should go all in." says Linus Gustafsson.
Out for consultation
The European Commission's proposal for new and increased excise duties on smokeless nicotine products - but also nicotine-free alternatives to cigarettes - is now out for consultation in Sweden. Interested parties now have until 16 September to respond. Negotiations in the Council of Ministers, where Sweden has the possibility to veto the proposal, are likely to start in the autumn.
