Netherlands Flavored Vaping Products Will Be Banned in July 2023

Not including the Netherlands, six European countries have prohibited non-tobacco flavors. In Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary and Lithuania, flavored vape restrictions are already in place, and Ukraine’s flavor ban will take effect in July 2023. No European country has an outright ban on all vape products.

The final rule was published Nov. 28 in the official government gazette Staatscourant, and includes a list of 16 allowed e-liquid ingredients. The government says that 25 percent of existing tobacco-flavored vape products can be made with the allowed substances.

But manufacturers disagree, saying the limited list of allowed ingredients would make developing new flavors impossible—including tobacco flavors.

“We were able to taste the first [e-liquids made with the allowed flavorings],” said Emil ‘t Hart, chairman of vaping trade association Esigbond. “That is a very weak copy of what a tobacco flavor should be. Essential parts are missing to get the taste right. With this, the Secretary of State goes much further than just a taste ban, because no tobacco can be made with these ingredients.”

Dutch vape advocates say the ingredient restrictions will essentially put all e-liquid manufacturers in the Netherlands out of business. They would have to scrap existing products and would be unable to reformulate their tobacco flavors using the new list of allowed flavorings.

Esigbond says 80 percent of its members expect the rules will shut down their businesses.