Press conference - Economic and Financial Affairs Council
9 November 2026
Contents updated on 9 Nov 2026
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Council of the European Union European Council
Follow its sittings00:18 - 00:35
Speaker 1
Okay. All right, good evening, everyone, and welcome to this press conference following today's Ecofin Council. We're joined by Ireland's Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, and the EU Commissioner for Economy, Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, Valdis Dombrovskis. I'll first give the floor to the Tánaiste.
00:35 - 02:29
Speaker 2
Well, thank you very much. Very pleased to be here with Commissioner with the Commissioner after a long Ecofin meeting. Very good discussion in relation to the Tobacco Tax Directive, a really important file addressing the taxation of novel tobacco and nicotine products, things like vapes or nicotine pouches, and trying to bring them under an existing framework in relation to tax arrangements. This is going to help our young people in particular, and it will strengthen Europe's path towards a tobacco-free generation.
We cannot have a situation where outdated tax tobacco rules in Europe are allowing tobacco companies effectively circumvent them and allowing younger people in particular be targeted. The health implications of that, the public health implications of that are real and are very significant. Now I know it's a sensitive file for many member states, and I really want to thank people who engaged with this in substantive and constructive terms today, and I'm very pleased we're at a point now where 26, 26 of the 27 member states were in a position to agree. I'm disappointed that Malta was not yet in a position to agree, but I really hope, after reflection and engagement, and as we return to this in December, we will seek that agreement again. This, yes, tax files require unanimity, but public health matters.
There is a public health emergency in the European Union when it comes to things like nicotine pouches, vaping, tobacco, and we've come too far in terms of our public health interventions not to seek to put this key file in place. So, certainly, the Irish presidency remains committed to working on this file, to constructively engaging in the file, and both myself and the Taoiseach are very committed to this, and very much engaged on this matter, and thank you now. We came in today with quite a number of member states not in a position to agree.
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