Swedish MEPs held at least 30 meetings with snus lobbyists ahead of EU tobacco review

Swedish members of the European Parliament have held a minimum of 30 meetings with tobacco and nicotine industry representatives since 2024, an investigation by public broadcaster SVT reveals, as the European Commission prepares to revise its tobacco regulations amid growing calls for stricter controls on white snus.

The meetings—documented in EU transparency registers—come as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of the rapidly expanding market for nicotine pouches, urging countries to ban or heavily restrict them. “These products are designed to create addiction, and there is a strong need to protect our youth,” Etienne Krug, a WHO epidemiologist, told Politico.

Sweden’s centre-right and far-right MEPs, excluding the Liberals, accounted for 26 of the 30 recorded meetings, while Social Democrats Johan Danielsson and Adnan Dibrani attended four. Left Party, Green, Centre, and Liberal MEPs reported no such contacts. Jonas Sjöstedt (Left Party) criticised the industry’s influence, stating, “Tobacco companies are very aggressive in marketing these products. It’s clear they want to use MEPs as political tools to open new markets—that’s not our job.”

Jessica Polfjärd (Moderates), a member of the EU’s health committee, registered eight meetings with tobacco and nicotine representatives—the highest in her committee—while logging only one with anti-tobacco advocates. “We’ll receive new directives from the Commission, so I’ve met with those representing snus, but also with the other side,” she said, defending the product as “a Swedish one we think is important to protect.”

The lobbying surge follows France’s April 2026 crackdown on white snus imports and Spain’s consideration of a ban, while the Netherlands already prohibits nicotine pouch sales. The Commission’s review, announced last month, will address the rise of snus and vapes alongside concerns over youth-targeted marketing.

Sweden secured an exemption for traditional snus when joining the EU in 1995, though export remains banned. The first white snus products entered the market in 2014, with a wave of new brands launched between 2018 and 2022.