The court said banning menthol, the most popular flavoring for traditional cigarettes, was in line with European Union law.
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“We await the United Kingdom court judgment, which is expected shortly, but we expect that the court will also confirm that the introduction of standardized packaging in the U.K.is lawful”.
Today’s rule also requires manufacturers of all newly-regulated products, to show that the products meet the applicable public health standard set forth in the law and receive marketing authorization from the FDA, unless the product was on the market as of February 15, 2007.
The court said it is OK to ban menthol and other flavorings that make tobacco more appealing.
“We stand by our belief that the Tobacco Products Directive is a clear example of the European Union overstepping the limits of its authority”, said a BAT spokeswoman on Wednesday.
For decades, the federal government and the public health community have fought to protect people from the dangers of tobacco use.
The decision means picture health warnings will have to dominate the front and back of all packaging.
Finally, the court held that such a prohibition does not infringe the principle of subsidiarity.
The Health Ministry’s notification of September 24, 2015, for implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014, came into force from April 1 onwards.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld a ruling against tobacco giants like Philip Morris on Tuesday. It also held that the rules which relate, in essence, to the integrity of health warnings after the packet has been opened, to the position and minimum dimensions of the health warnings and to the shape of unit packets of cigarettes and the minimum number of cigarettes per unit packet are proportionate.
The EU measures from 2014, which include a requirement that health warnings cover 65% of cigarette packs, don’t go “beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary”, the EU Court of Justice said on Wednesday in Luxembourg.
In its ruling today, the ECJ said extensive standardisation of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes and the special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful.
The EU court further rejected a challenge against regulations on electronic cigarettes, including cross-border sales within the bloc, which was brought by a firm in Britain.
In February Blackburn with Darwen borough council adopted “a precautionary approach to e-cigarettes until research can confirm there are no health related risks associate with their use”.
That means almost all every e-cigarette on the market – and every different flavor and nicotine level – would require a separate application for federal approval.
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India is ranked 136 of 198 countries according to the global status report on Cigarette Package Health Warnings, 2014 and countries ranked after 143 do not display pictorial health warnings at all.
