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EU challenge – it’s about time

February 10th, 2015 Posted in Uncategorized by

H/T Velvet Glove Iron Fist has flagged up a new campaign that is up and running… and most intriguing…

Totally Wicked, the British e-cigarette company, is challenging the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive’s regulation of e-cigarettes. The company’s challenge is based on the view that

“Article 20 of the TPD represents a disproportionate impediment to the free movement of goods and the free provisions of services, places electronic cigarettes at an unjustified competitive disadvantage to tobacco products, fails to comply with the general EU principle of equality, and breaches the fundamental rights of electronic cigarette manufacturers and users.”

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will hear the case later this year. In the meantime the guys and girls at Totally Wicked are looking to gather as many signatures as possible to demonstrate to the CJEU, come the glorious day, that this is not just a single self-interested UK company having a whinge.

We reckon the campaign deserves our support. Why ? If for no other reason, its good to see a company with cajones…. putting its money where its mouth is. And of course there are the more tangible reasons. The EU e-cigarette rules as the stand will result in much less choice for consumers, render e-cigarettes useless for many heavier smokers/vapers, threaten the very livelihood of smaller entrepreneurial businesses and almost certainly have the effect of driving vapers into the shadow economy. Some of the specifics:

  • The proposed 2ml tank capacity limit means that a significant proportion of most popular products will be unavailable across many countries in the EU.
  • Harsh regulations around fluid and emissions testing mean that small entrepreneurial e-liquid manufacturers will go out of business, significantly reducing consumer choice.
  • The 20 mg/ml nicotine strength limit means that e-cigarettes will be less likely to satisfy the nicotine demands of  many consumers.
  • Demanding “leak free refilling” will result in the vast majority of current refillable products disappearing, to be replaced by e-cigarettes with the same generic and standardised filling mechanism. Goodbye innovation, hello Trabant.
  • Advertising restrictions will limit consumers ability to make informed decisions and for manufacturers to put their products to the wider market.
  • and so on… you get the picture…

For more information on the campaign and to sign up click here.

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