On 29 July, a workshop was held at the Tobacco Administration dedicated to the presentation of a comparative analysis of legislation in the area of tobacco-related products. Project experts Tatjana Stamatović and Katarina Grga shared key findings, recommendations and insights based on a comparative analysis of the legislation of Serbia, Denmark, and Italy.
Participants were intrigued by a unique provision in Denmark’s Tobacco Act: the law applies not only on Danish territory, but also to Danish ships and aircraft, as well as foreign aircraft operating under a Danish license—regardless of where the vessel or aircraft is located! However, the law does not apply to ships and aircraft registered in the Faroe Islands or Greenland, which sparked additional questions and discussion about exceptions in legislation. This interesting detail highlighted just how complex and context-specific tobacco regulation can be across different countries and legal systems.
In addition to numerous other examples, the workshop provided an in-depth overview of all key aspects of regulating tobacco-related products. In their analysis, the experts pointed out that Serbian legislation already recognizes and incorporates the provisions of Directive 2014/40/EU into its legal framework, but also emphasized that there is room for improvement in areas that Denmark and Italy have already regulated in greater detail. Denmark, with its laws that apply to a broad range of public spaces and its regulation of e-cigarettes, offers a model for expanding smoke-free environments. Italy, on the other hand, presents examples of stricter measures regarding additives, flavoured products, and sales to minors, which could serve as inspiration for strengthening preventive measures in Serbia.
Taking all of the above into account, the main recommendations for amending Serbian legislation in this area were presented at the workshop:
- Harmonising the title of the Law on Tobacco with the EU Directive;
- Aligning terminology with EU terminology;
- Amending the structure of the legislation in accordance with the methodology for drafting laws in the Republic of Serbia;
- Providing more precise definitions of advertising, consumer rights protection, and protection from exposure to tobacco smoke.
The workshop was held within the framework of the PLAC IV Project, which provides legal advice in the context of EU accession negotiations and aims to align national legislation with EU standards.
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Electronic Cigarettes and Trends
Denmark: A significant growth in the e-cigarette market has been recorded over the past five years, despite stricter regulations. Between 2020 and 2022, the overall usage rate increased from 3% to 5%. The use of fruit-flavoured products rose even after the flavour ban—from 47% to 67% among all users, and from 67% to 83% among youth aged 15–29. These statistics pose a challenge for Denmark in terms of further legal regulation of this area, as well as tighter market control of these products.
Italy: The majority of adults (aged 18–69) are either non-smokers or former smokers, but one in four Italians is a smoker. Among youth, 30.2% use at least one tobacco product (traditional cigarettes, heated tobacco or electronic cigarettes). In 2021, about 2.8% of individuals aged 14 and over (approximately 1.5 million people) reported using electronic cigarettes (3.4% of men and 2.3% of women). Young people aged 18–34 are the most frequent users of e-cigarettes, with a prevalence of around 5.2% (6% among men and 4.5% among women). The highest usage is found among men aged 25–34 (6.2%). E-cigarette use decreases with age, nearly disappearing among the population over 65. Additionally, about 1% of adult Italians use nicotine pouches.
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