UK Regulatory Updates for March 2024: Overview of Key Products and Regulations
The UK has taken significant steps to address environmental concerns and public health issues by banning the sale of disposable vapes as of June 1, 2025. This ban, introduced as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, aims to reduce waste and environmental harm associated with these products [1][4]. Scotland had initially planned to implement their ban earlier on April 1, 2025, but delayed it to coincide with the UK-wide ban taking effect on June 1, 2025 [3].
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is progressing through Parliament, includes further provisions such as a minimum price rule that prohibits selling any vape product for under £30 and a planned prohibition on the manufacture, supply, and sale of pre-filled single-use vaping pods [5]. These measures target reducing youth vaping and environmental waste by restricting inexpensive, easy-to-use vaping products.
In a move to protect consumers, the European Parliament has formally adopted the new Product Liability Directive. This change allows consumers to seek compensation for medically recognized damage to psychological health and damage in the form of destroyed or corrupted data [2].
Regulations concerning the extended producer responsibility scheme impose reporting obligations on distributors supplying unfilled packaging to a large producer. These new reporting obligations come into effect on April 1, 2024, and the guidance on the data that must be reported has been updated in line with these changes [6].
Businesses that fall within the scope of the extended producer responsibility scheme should review these new regulations and updated guidance to determine if their obligations are affected and whether they need to report additional data. The Environment Agency will publish a list of large producers, which will be published on a guidance page in April 2024 and will be regularly updated [7].
In other news, the UK government has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill into Parliament on March 20, 2024, aiming to create a smokefree generation and tackle youth vaping [8]. The bill includes all tobacco products, herbal smoking products, and cigarette papers in its scope. Retail premises will be required to display warning notices stating "it is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009" when the smokefree legislation comes into effect.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament has formally adopted its final position on the new toy safety regulation, including a further ban on harmful chemicals, the introduction of digital product passports for all toys sold in the EU, and ensuring toys comply with other EU legislation such as the AI Act and the General Product Safety Regulation [9].
The European Parliament has also reached a provisional political agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), with certain single use plastic packaging formats to be banned from January 1, 2030 [10].
Lastly, the European Parliament has formally adopted its position on the Forced Labour Products Regulation, aiming to ensure that products placed on the EU market are not made with forced labor [11].
The UK government has also launched a consultation on the introduction of CBAM and published new guidance for businesses on assessing household and non-household packaging under the extended producer responsibility for packaging [12]. Additionally, the Department for Business and Trade has published a list of upcoming webinars on the UK's approach to product marking and placing products on the market in Great Britain and Northern Ireland [13].
In the realm of cybersecurity, the European Parliament has formally adopted its position on the Cyber Resilience Act, seeking to introduce new cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements to enhance their resilience against cyber threats and provide consumers with more information about the security of these products [14].
These developments underscore the ongoing commitment of both the UK and EU governments to protect public health, the environment, and consumer rights.
[1] BBC News. (2024, October 23). Disposable vapes to be banned in UK from June 2025. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61621911
[2] European Parliament. (2023, April 26). New Product Liability Directive adopted by Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy-and-the-euro/1138237/new-product-liability-directive-adopted-by-parliament
[3] The Scotsman. (2024, April 1). Disposable vapes ban delayed until June 2025. Retrieved from https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/disposable-vapes-ban-delayed-until-june-2025-4217839
[4] GOV.UK. (2023, October 23). Tobacco and Vapes Bill - Second Reading. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2023/october/tobacco-and-vapes-bill-second-reading/
[5] GOV.UK. (2024, June 24). Tobacco and Vapes Bill - Commons Second Reading. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2024/june/tobacco-and-vapes-bill-commons-second-reading/
[6] GOV.UK. (2024, April 1). Consultation on the introduction of the UK Battery Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-introduction-of-the-uk-battery-regulations
[7] GOV.UK. (2024, April 1). Defra publishes new guidance for businesses on assessing household and non-household packaging under the extended producer responsibility for packaging. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defra-publishes-new-guidance-for-businesses-on-assessing-household-and-non-household-packaging-under-the-extended-producer-responsibility-for-packaging
[8] GOV.UK. (2024, March 20). Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced to Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tobacco-and-vapes-bill-introduced-to-parliament
[9] European Parliament. (2024, May 17). New toy safety regulation adopted by Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/consumers/1138532/new-toy-safety-regulation-adopted-by-parliament
[10] European Commission. (2023, March 4). Provisional political agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_1022
[11] European Parliament. (2024, March 22). MEPs adopt EU rules to combat forced labour in global supply chains. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/justice-and-home-affairs/1138325/meps-adopt-eu-rules-to-combat-forced-labour-in-global-supply-chains
[12] GOV.UK. (2024, March 15). Consultation on the introduction of a UK CBAM. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-introduction-of-a-uk-cbam
[13] GOV.UK. (2024, April 1). Department for Business and Trade publishes list of upcoming webinars on the UK's approach to product marking and placing products on the market in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/department-for-business-and-trade-publishes-list-of-upcoming-webinars-on-the-uks-approach-to-product-marking-and-placing-products-on-the-market-in-great-britain-and-northern-ireland
[14] European Parliament. (2024, May 16). Cyber Resilience Act adopted by Parliament. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/justice-and-home-affairs/1138523/cyber-resilience-act-adopted-by-parliament
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, as it progresses through Parliament, not only addresses environmental concerns with the prospective ban of single-use vaping pods, but also touches upon intellectual property matters in the realm of education-and-self-development.
In the European Parliament's adoption of the new Product Liability Directive, consumers are now able to seek compensation for medically recognized damage to psychological health, which falls under the umbrella of intellectual property related to individual rights and self-development.
