Brussels – Electronic cigarettes? No, thanks. Belgium is calling on EU member states to ban their sale across Europe, closing the single market to the industry and its products. Belgian Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Frank Vandenbroucke arrived at the Luxembourg Health Council determined and ready to fight.
The agenda includes a discussion of preventive measures, which also affect the use, consumption, and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and tobacco products. This is where, for the Belgian government, action is needed without delay.
Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke [Luxembourg, June 20, 2025]
“The European Commission has defined an aggressive agenda against cancer. We think it is important also to include e-cigarettes and vaping in this campaign,” Vanderbroucke said. “What is currently happening is worrying: a vaping industry is making a new generation of young people addicted to nicotine by selling e-cigarettes with all kinds of flavorings. Apple, raspberry… They all seem healthy when, in fact, they are dangerous and make people addicted.” This is no coincidence, he explained on his arrival at the Council: “This, after all, is the goal of the industry.” Consequently, “this is the EU’s battle,” and, to this end, “we need an EU-wide ban on flavored e-cigarettes,‘ he added.
The Belgian proposal is part of the European Commission’s new clampdown on the tobacco industry. Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra announced the intention to increase taxes on new tobacco products to discourage and disincentivize the purchase and consumption of products that are potentially harmful to the health of EU citizens in the long term.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
