Brussels promised to listen to consumers. Now it must prove it
May 29, 2026 by theparliamentmagazine.eu
Brussels promised to listen to consumers. Now it must prove it
The EU’s review of tobacco and nicotine regulation is placing renewed attention on whether consumer perspectives are being meaningfully included in policymaking. Harm reduction advocates argue that people who use safer nicotine products have direct experience of switching away from combustible tobacco and should not be excluded from decisions that affect their choices. The debate highlights concerns that regulation shaped without consumer input may overlook real-world behaviour, risk perception and the practical barriers smokers face when trying to quit. A more evidence-based policy process would recognise lived experience as a necessary part of understanding how nicotine regulation affects public health outcomes.
