The Swedish government has decided to submit a so-called detailed statement to the European Commission on Poland's planned legislation for e-cigarettes and white snus.
In this statement, Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and the government, contradict point by point what the Public Health Agency writes in its statement.
Disagreement about mobility
The government believes that the Polish proposal contains several provisions that risk contravening free movement within the EU. The Public Health Agency does not believe this.
One of the things that the Swedish government is protesting against is that Poland wants to introduce a flavor ban on white snus. The only flavor that should be allowed is tobacco.
Poland's motive is that young people are attracted to flavors other than tobacco. A flavor ban reduces the attraction. According to Benjamin Dousa and the government, trade restrictions are indeed permitted if they benefit public health, but Poland has not explained why it is not enough to, for example, tighten age controls to protect young people from using white snus. Something that would not restrict trade.
Research on taste bans
Unlike the Swedish government, the Public Health Agency has a great understanding of why Poland wants a flavor ban. In its statement, it refers to the fact that, according to the overall state of scientific knowledge, flavor is a central factor in attracting young people to use snus. Therefore, it may be justified to remove nicotine products that taste like fruit and candy. This can protect people's health.
The government is also reacting to Poland's desire to ban new nicotine products on the market that are not tobacco products or tobacco-related products. The government's view is that cigarettes are more dangerous to health than products such as white snus. If smoking is replaced by snus, it is a positive development. The Polish legislative proposals could therefore, according to the government, be negative for public health.
The Swedish Public Health Agency, the government's expert authority, has the opposite opinion. The agency writes in its statement that there is no scientific support for the new nicotine products reducing smoking or improving public health. Such claims should therefore not determine whether an EU country can introduce regulations, as Poland wants to do.
Same with Austria
This is not the first time Benjamin Dousa and the government have gone against authorities in their statements. Most recently, they went against the Swedish Chamber of Commerce when they submitted a similar statement to Austria. Benjamin Dousa told Sveriges Radio at the time.
– We always listen to all our authorities that come with referrals and expert opinions, but we live in a democracy, we are not North Korea. It is elected politicians who decide what politics should look like.
