Keve welcome snus law as Cyprus moves to regulate market

The chamber of commerce (Keve) has welcomed the passage of new legislation regulating nicotine pouches, following a vote in parliament on Thursday.

In its statement issued on Friday, Keve said it was “satisfied” with the development, adding that the law introduces protracted controls over the distribution of snus, which had circulated without formal regulation.

The chamber said the outcome followed “coordinated interventions” involving its collaboration with the kiosk owners union (Sykade), through which proposals were submitted to government ministries and parliament highlighting the need for oversight of the growing market.

“These actions aimed to promote the inclusion of these products in a regulatory framework equivalent to that of tobacco products,” Keve confirmed, while also addressing “smuggling and trafficking through the Green Line.”

Parliament approved the legislation based on a proposal submitted by Diko MP Chrysis Pantelidis.

Pantelidis told the plenary that the absence of regulation had allowed products of “dubious quality and unknown or uncontrolled origin” to circulate, posing risks particularly to younger users.

“We are regulating and controlling a product that is circulating outside commercial regulation,” he affirmed.

Nicotine pouches are defined under the new law as manufactured products intended for oral use without inhalation or combustion, containing nicotine in solid form but excluding pharmaceutical products.

Although they do not contain tobacco, they deliver nicotine derived from tobacco alongside flavourings and plant-based fibres.

Before the legislation, nicotine pouches in Cyprus were classified as pharmaceutical products requiring marketing authorisation, but no such licences had been granted.

Despite this, the products continued to enter the market through informal channels, including online orders, retail outlets and cross-border movement.

Customs data showed that 3,728 nicotine pouches had been seized between November 2023 and early March 2026, with authorities identifying multiple entry routes and, in many cases, being unable to trace their origin.

Officials raised concerns over the lack of quality control and the potential health risks associated with unregulated products.

Pantelidis said smuggling from the north had created “fertile ground” for illicit trade and deprived the state of revenue.

He also described nicotine pouches as an alternative option for adult smokers, already legally marketed in several European Union countries, including Greece.

The legislation is expected to bring nicotine pouches under a regulatory regime similar to that governing tobacco products, including provisions for taxation, quality control and restrictions on sales.

The health ministry is set to introduce further regulations to define conditions for importation and distribution.

Keve called on authorities to ensure that the law is effectively enforced through “strict controls,” highlighting in particular the need to prohibit sales to those under 18 and to tackle illegal trafficking routes.

The passage of the law follows months of debate over how to address the growing presence of nicotine pouches in Cyprus, where demand has persisted despite the lack of a legal framework governing their sale.

Pantelidis argued that maintaining the previous classification effectively handed the market to unregulated imports.

“If nicotine pouches are going to circulate, pretending they are medicines that no one will license simply hands the market to smugglers,” he said during earlier discussions on the bill.