Spain Asked to Rethink Vape Shop Ban

The Independent European Vaping Association (IEVA) has called on the Spanish government to reconsider a proposal to ban vape shops. According to the IEVA, the legislation under consideration would hand the entire electronic cigarette business to big tobacco companies.

“Against all principles of EU law (proportionality, good regulation, good administration, fair competition and harmonization), the Spanish government has proposed to ban and close all vape shops across Spain (transferring the sale of electronic cigarettes and e-liquids to the state monopoly of tobacco shops and to prohibit all online sales,” the IEVA wrote on its website.

According to the IEVA, these measures not only contravene EU rules on free competition and free movement of goods, but will also generate unemployment at a time or economic crisis. What’s more, the proposal will deprive vaper from personalized access to vaping products, forcing them to buy them at tobacco shops, which could temp them back to more risky combustible products, the group said.

As part of the legislative process, Spain submitted a so-called TRIS notification to the European Commission on June 21 The IEVA shared its views on the proposal and the full submission is available here.