Council recommends increased protection against second-hand smoke and aerosols

The Council has adopted a recommendation that will help reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols and achieve a tobacco-free generation in Europe by 2040 as set out in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

The recommendation on smoke and aerosol-free environments adopted today encourages EU countries to broaden the scope of their existing protection against second-hand smoke exposure to include key outdoor areas like playgrounds and restaurant terraces. The new measures will also apply to emerging tobacco and related products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

The fight against non-communicable diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, is a priority for the Hungarian presidency. Today’s recommendation will help prevent such diseases by reducing the likelihood of exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols, particularly among children and young people.

Péter Takács, Hungarian Secretary of State for Health

Emerging tobacco products

Since the adoption of the last Council recommendation on smoke-free areas in 2009, a number of new tobacco and related products have been developed, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and heated herbal products. Their emissions may be inhaled by bystanders, exposing them to potentially harmful levels of toxicants, contaminants, and other air pollutants.

The recommendation adopted today extends the provisions of the 2009 recommendation to aerosol-emitting products. To provide effective protection, EU countries will be encouraged to further restrict the use of these products in certain public spaces, public transport as well as in the workplace.

Outdoor public spaces

The new recommendation also recognises the prevalence and potential harmful effects, particularly to children and young people, of second-hand exposure to smoke and aerosols in outdoor spaces. These spaces include restaurant terraces, playgrounds, beaches and public transport. The Council therefore recommends that EU countries extend protection from second-hand smoke and aerosols to include a broader range of places.

Next steps

The Commission is expected to report on the progress made in implementing this recommendation within five years of today’s adoption. In its recommendation, the Council also highlights the importance of coupling the measures described above with intense work on the evaluation and revision of the EU’s tobacco legislation.

Background

The Commission published its proposal to revise the 2009 recommendation on smoke-free environments on 17 September 2024. Its aim is to bring the recommendation in line with market developments (e-cigarettes, emerging products) and include the use of tobacco and related products in certain outdoor spaces, such as schools and playgrounds. The proposal forms part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which aims to create a ‘tobacco-free generation’ (in which less than 5% of the population uses tobacco products) by 2040.

More information: Council of the European Union.