Smoke Free Partnership is warning that tobacco companies are conducting large-scale campaigns to influence the European Union’s ongoing review of its tobacco control laws, including the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and Tobacco Advertising Directive (TAD).

According to the organization, tobacco firms have encouraged consumers to participate in European Commission consultations through in-store promotions, messaging that frames stricter tobacco regulations as threats to personal freedoms, and AI-powered tools that help users automatically generate consultation responses. The organization argues that these tactics may compromise the integrity of the consultation process by producing coordinated, potentially inauthentic submissions.

The consultation has received more than 39,000 feedback submissions and over 1,300 questionnaire responses, with campaigners claiming a significant proportion may be linked to industry-led mobilization efforts. Similar concerns were previously raised during consultations on the EU Tobacco Tax Directive, where many submissions reportedly contained near-identical content.

The Smoke Free Partnership is calling on the European Commission to strengthen transparency measures, identify coordinated responses, and ensure that upcoming tobacco legislation is based on independent evidence and public health priorities. The organization argues that protecting the policymaking process is essential as tobacco-related diseases continue to cause more than 700,000 deaths annually across Europe.