The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Regulations 2015
Regulates cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco pack sizes, colours, and branding. For more information and background see House of Commons Research Briefing, Impact Assessment, and Explanatory Memorandum.
- Made 19 March 2015, UK wide; came into force 20 May 2016 (sell through period to 21 May 2017).
- Covers cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco only.
- Requires mandatory colours for retail packaging (Pantone 448C).
- Requires minimum pack sizes (20 cigarettes and 30 grams hand-rolling tobacco).
- Allows brand name and variants but only in specified font and text size.
- Includes provisions on offences and enforcement, and consequential amendments.
- Requires publication of report reviewing the regulations every five years.
Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016
Regulation transposing 2014 EU Tobacco Products Directive into UK law on packaging and labelling, product contents, and advertising and sponsorship; only provision on packaging and labelling included below. Amended by future legislation including The Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 following UK’s EU exit; amendments specified below. See also e-cigarette Research Briefing, Impact Assessment and Explanatory Memorandum for more information and background.
- Made 18 April 2016, UK wide but Scotland currently considering whether to go further; came into force 20 May 2016 with a sell through period to 21 May 2017.
- Requires smoking tobacco products, smokeless tobacco products, herbal smoking products, and e-cigarettes to include a combined picture and text health warning.
- Specifies what written warnings should say and picture warnings should be, including a picture library (since replaced following UK’s exit from the EU with Australian picture warnings).
- Set out provisions for offences and powers of enforcement.
- Requires the publication of a report reviewing the regulations every five years.
The Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
Amends UK legislation Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Brandsharing) Regulations 2004, Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Regulations 2015, Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015, and Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and amends or repeals EU legislation 2015/1842, 2016/779, 2015/2183, 2015/2186, and 2016/786 – all concerning tobacco packaging and labelling, product contents and flavours, and advertising and promotion – in light of UK’s EU exit; only provisions on packaging and labelling included below. See also Explanatory Memorandum for more information and background.
- Made 10 January 2019, UK wide; came into force 31 January 2020 when UK left the EU.
- Amends Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Regulations 2015 to redefine ‘’cross-border sale’’ to mean one in which consumer is located in UK and retailer is established in another country.
- Amends 2016 TRPR in light of changes to obligations under EU Tobacco Products Directive:
o Transfers powers from the European Commission to UK Government to amend health warnings and information messages on tobacco products and e-cigarettes.
o Removes references to now-revoked EU tertiary legislation. - Specifies that UK can no longer use EU picture warnings from 2014 Tobacco Products Directive with all tobacco products produced after EU exit to use pictures sourced from Australian government.