The Dutch health ministry is calling on Brussels to enforce “comprehensive restrictions on flavors, maximum nicotine levels and plain packaging” for e-cigarettes and other nicotine products, according to Euractiv.

Junior health minister Vincent Karremans has sent a letter to EU health chief Olivér Várhelyi, arguing that the decision to postpone legislation on new nicotine products is “harmful.” In his correspondence, Karremans urged Várhelyi to take “decisive” action to safeguard young people’s health—a move that has already won backing from Belgium and Latvia.

The letter comes on the heels of the European Commission’s decision to remove tobacco-related legislation from its 2025 work program. The Dutch ministry is not stopping there; it is also advocating for a legal framework to govern cross-border distance sales of new tobacco products.

Dutch officials argue that the current system enables consumers to bypass national restrictions, further endangering public health.

The urgency behind these measures is underscored by a surge in vaping among teenagers in the Netherlands. Last year, Dutch MPs supported a D66 motion to tax e-cigarettes and vapes, although implementation is not expected before 2029.

Despite the ban on flavored vaping liquids in the country, research by the Trimbos Addiction Institute reveals that one in five young people under 25 uses a vape, with 70% of these individuals also smoking traditional cigarettes.