G/TBT/N/LTU/51  
28 July 2023  
(23-5168) 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:  LITHUANIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania  
Vilniaus str. 33, LT -01506 Vilnius, Lithuania, tel. +370 5 2661402, e -mail: 
ministerija@sam.lt , http://sam.lrv.lt/  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated i f different from above:   
National WTO TBT Enquiry point:  
Lithuanian Standards Board, Algirdo str. 31, 03219 Vilnius, Lithuania tel.: +370 5 279 
1152; e -mail: enquiry@lsd.lt  
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):  65.160 
Tobacco, tobacco products and related equipment  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Law on 
control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products of the Republic of Lithuania on 
amendment of Article 92 No. XIVP-2791(2), 1 page, Lithuanian (hereinafter – Draft Law).  
6. Description of content:  The Draft Law was prepared in order to fill the gaps in the 
existing regulation, when electronic cigarettes and electronic cigarette refills are supplied 
to the market of the Republic of Lithuania, which have attractive taste and attractiveness 
characteristics for young people, and to reduce the attractiveness of electronic cigarettes 
and electronic cigarette refills for young people.  
The Draft Law proposes establishing a ban on placing electronic cigarettes and electronic 
cigarette refills on the market of the Republic of Lithuania with a liquid adapted for filling 
electronic cigarettes, if this liquid contains sugar and/or sweeteners.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  In order to reduce attractiveness and rapidly growing consumption 
(especially among young people) of electronic cigarettes[1], it is necessary to take 
appropriate measures.  
The Draft Law proposes establishing a ban on placing electronic cigarettes and electronic 
cigarette refills on the market of the Republic of Lithuania with a liquid adapted for filling 
electronic cigarettes, if this liquid contains sugar and/or sweeteners. Sugar and 
sweeteners make electronic cigarettes attractive to young people and minors. There is 
plenty of scientific evidence that children prefer sweet tastes compared to adults. Banning G/TBT/N/LTU/51  
 
- 2 - 
 
  the use of sugar and/or sweeteners in the composition of e -cigarettes and their r efills 
liquids would make them unattractive to young people and minors. Currently, the Law 
prohibits the placing on the market of the Republic of Lithuania of electronic cigarettes 
and electronic cigarette refills with a liquid adapted for filling electron ic cigarettes, if this 
liquid contains flavoring substances, except for the smell and/or taste of tobacco, caffeine 
or taurine, or other additives and stimulant compounds that are associated with energy 
and vitality, vitamins or other additives that create  the impression that e -cigarettes and 
e-cigarette refills are beneficial or less harmful to health. However, these bans are not 
stopping the popularity and attractiveness of e -cigarettes among young people as 
expected.  
In order to make electronic cigarette s unattractive to minors and young people, it is 
necessary to take additional measures and eliminate features/elements, as sugar and/or 
sweeteners, that are attractive to the aforementioned population groups.  
[1] 
https://ntakd.lrv.lt/uploads/ntakd/documents/files/2022%20metinis%20(galutinis).pdf  
(Drugs, tobacco and alcohol control department „Psychoactive substances: trends an d 
changes 2022", p. 119, picture 4.1.8 (according to the European School Survey Project 
on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), the use of electronic cigarettes among 15 -16 years 
old youth in Lithuania is one of the largest in the Europe (in Lithuania last mon th 
prevalence is – 31%, while average of ESPAD countries – 14%), picture 4.1.7 (with the 
increasing time trend of such consumption) and table 4.1.2 to the national General 
population representative survey 2021 (the highest prevalence of e -cigarettes is amo ng 
people of 15 -34 years old age group, life time prevalence is 41,9%, last month prevalence 
- 16%).  
According to the latest Health Behaviour in School -aged Children (HBSC) 2022, conducted 
by the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the use of electro nic cigarettes 
significantly increased among 5th -9th graders in Lithuania: in 2022 every fifth student in 
grades 5 -9 used electronic cigarettes at least once in the last 30 days (21% in 2022, 
17.9% in 2018, 11.7% in 2014).  
8. Relevant documents:   
Draft Law: 
https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAP/8ee67060103211ee9ac6bb8cb9c0645 5?positionInSe
archResults=1&searchModelUUID=6a4538f9 -9be9-454b-b45e-b62cd4b52492  
Draft Law (comparative version):  
https://e -
seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAK/babde380103211ee9ac6bb8cb9c06455?positionInSe
archResults=2&searchModelUUID=6a4538f9 -9be9-454b-b45e-b62cd4b52492  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
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:   
National enquiry point [ x ] or address, telephone and fax numbers, e -mail and web -site 
addresses, if available of the other body: enquiry@lsd.lt