Consumer protection
European Union
General Product Safety
EU Council Directive 92/59/EEC (In Force) (External Web Page)
Although the regulations are not tobacco specific they cover items such as cigarette lighters – see below. In future, this Directive could be applied to fire safer (reduced ignition propensity) cigarettes, ie cigarettes that have been modified to reduce the risk of accidental fires. The EU regulatory committee is currently investigating standards that could be applied to reduced ignition propensity cigarettes.
The regulations stipulate that no producer shall place a product on the market unless the product is a safe product. The status of these regulations as applied to tobacco is unclear.
Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 2328 (External Web Page)
The EC directive was implemented in England by Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 2328 as The General Product Safety Regulations 1994.
Child-resistant cigarette lighters (EC Commission Decision 2006/502/EC) (External Web Page)
On 11 May 2006 the Commission adopted a Decision requiring Member States to ensure that disposable cigarette lighters sold in the EU are child-resistant. The Decision also prohibits the placing on the market of lighters which resemble objects that are particularly attractive to children. Luxury and semi-luxury lighters are excluded from the scope of the Decision but must comply with the general safety requirements for all these products. The law covers all disposable lighters which account for about 98% of lighters sold in the EU.
