After exiting the European Union, the UK amended the requirements for tobacco packaging as listed in the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.
Tobacco manufacturers must now ensure that any tobacco products released in the UK after January 1 feature non-EU text warnings, as listed in the picture library in Schedule A1 to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, and amended by the 2019 regulations.
Northern Ireland, which borders the Republic of Ireland (which remains in the EU), will continue to comply with the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) requirements, which include the use of the EU picture warnings. However, manufacturers supplying products from Northern Ireland to UK will need to ensure these products carry UK warnings.
The Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, has been amended to remove a 12-month sell-through deadline which allowed the continued supply of tobacco products that were lawfully placed on the market in the UK before January 1, 2021. As such, any products on the market featuring the EU-approved pictures that were produced and first supplied on the UK market before January 1 are allowed to remain on the market until they reach their end-user.