Most European Union member states have yet to issue official statements on the proposed Tobacco Excise Directive (TED), but some have already pushed back and warned the measures could undermine national sovereignty and damage local industries.
This month, Portugal became the latest country to join Germany, Sweden, and Hungary in expressing reservations about new EU-level taxes. The Portuguese government particularly voiced concerns about taxing both combustible cigarettes and new generation products in the same way, which would not create a real incentive to use less harmful products.
