G/TBT/N/BEL/48  
9 April 2024 
(24-3002) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  BELGIUM  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (FPS Health)  
Directorate General Animals, Plants and Food (DGAPF)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated t o handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
BELNOTIF  
Federal Public Service Economy, SMEs, Self -Employed and Energy (FPS Economy)  
Directorate -General for Quality and Safety  
Liaison Office  
North Gate III  
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 16  
Email: be.belnotif@economie.fgov.be  
Website: https://economie.fgov.be/en  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN  where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   
E-cigarettes  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Royal Decree 
amending the Royal Decree of 28 October 2016 o n the manufacture and placing on the 
market of electronic cigarettes; (2 page(s), in Dutch), (2 page(s), in French)  
6. Description of content:  This draft Royal Decree amends the Royal Decree of 28 October 
2016 on the manufacture and placing on the market of electronic cigarettes.  
The planned amendments concern composition and labelling.  
With regard to composition, Article 4 has been amended to introduce a ban on placing on 
the market electronic cigarettes that are completely disposable. The full justificat ion for 
this measure was explained in a notification report to the EU Commission in accordance 
with the procedure set out in Article 24, 3 of Directive 2014/40/EU of 3 April 2014 on the 
approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions o f the Member 
States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products and related 
products. In addition, the ban on placing disposable e -cigarettes on the Belgian market 
is in line with the 2022 -2028 Interfederal Strategy for a Tobacco -Free Generation. This 
strategy is primarily aimed at reducing the prevalence of smoking and countering the 
widespread popularity of tobacco and similar products among young people and young 
adults.  G/TBT/N/BEL/48  
 
- 2 - 
 
  With regard to labelling (Article 5), a number of changes have been made to rectify certain 
errors. It has also been added that the leaflet must include information on quitting 
smoking, in accordance with sheet 6.5 of the Interfederal Strategy 2022 -2028 for a 
smoke -free generation, dated 14/12/2022.  
7. Objective  and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Royal Decree of 28 October 2016 on the manufacture and placing on the market 
of electronic cigarettes : 
http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/arrete/2016/10/28/2016024250 /justel  
• TRIS Notification : 2022/0851 and 2023/0631  
• Notifications under Article 24(3) of the Tobacco Products Directive : C (2024) 
1673 final, 18.3.2024 : https://health.ec.europa.eu/tobacco/product -
regulation/implementing -tobacco -products -directive -directive -
201440eu/notifications -under-article -243-tobacco -products -directive_en  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  15 June 2024  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2025  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/BEL/24_02498_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/BEL/24_02498_00_x.pdf