Seven MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group have accused the European Commission of a lack of transparency over the delayed release of a key external study that underpins the evaluation of the Tobacco Products Directive. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 16 June 2026, MEPs Mariateresa Vivaldini, Daniele Polato, Sergio Berlato, Stefano Cavedagna, Chiara Gemma, Pietro Fiocchi and Denis Nesci demand explanations for why the study—conducted by Open Evidence in 2025 and titled 'Study supporting the Evaluation of the Tobacco Control Acquis'—was not made publicly available at the same time as the Commission's staff working document (SWD(2026)0111) that relies on it.
The MEPs note that the SWD references the study in multiple footnotes, indicating it is a primary evidentiary pillar of the evaluation. They argue that the unavailability of the study has significantly hindered scrutiny of the evaluation's robustness, completeness and objectivity. The question asks the Commission to explain the delay in releasing the study and to confirm it is now fully accessible. It also challenges whether the procedure is consistent with the Commission's Better Regulation commitments and transparency obligations, given that an evaluation drawing heavily on an external study should make that study available simultaneously with the conclusions.
The question, submitted under Rule 144 of Parliament's rules of procedure, is a formal request for written answer. The Commission typically has around six weeks to respond, and its answer will signal whether it considers the delay a procedural oversight or a justified measure. The MEPs' intervention reflects a broader concern among some conservative lawmakers about the transparency of EU regulatory processes, particularly in sensitive areas such as tobacco control where industry and public health interests often pull in different directions.