31-07-2025
Tobacco tax: How much more cigarettes will cost in the EU
Smokers across the EU could soon face steep price hikes of up to €2 per pack under a proposed EU-wide tobacco tax reform – a public health measure that's sparking political pushback in some member states.
The stakes are particularly high in light of the European executive's recent proposal to include tobacco taxes as a new own resource in the 2028–2034 EU budget, which is expected to generate €11.2 billion annually.
At least 15 member states agree with the Commission that revising the Tobacco Excise Duty Directive (TED) is necessary in order to reduce the attractiveness of smoking, given that tobacco consumption is responsible for around 700,000 deaths each year in the EU.
However, the revised TED requires unanimous approval, and some member states – including Italy, Luxembourg and Greece – have expressed reservations.
In its proposal, the Commission recently supported a 139% increase in cigarette taxes – from the current €90 per 1,000 units to €215 per 1,000 units.
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Euractiv obtained data illustrating what the new proposal would mean for cigarette prices across the bloc.
Out of the 27 member states, only Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Ireland would not be affected by the Commission's plans, as they have already imposed tobacco taxes above the current EU average.
In other member states, price increases would range from €1 to €2 per pack of cigarettes. The highest increase would occur in Bulgaria (59.9%), which has the highest smoking rate in the EU.
In practice, a smoker who consumes a pack of cigarettes a day in Bulgaria would face an additional annual cost of €645 if the proposed tax hikes are implemented. In Greece, the annual increase would be around €540, and in Italy around €415.
