A group of ten MEPs from across the political spectrum has called on the European Commission to ban cigarette filters, citing mounting scientific evidence that they offer no health benefits while releasing microplastics and toxic chemicals into the environment. In a written parliamentary question dated 19 June 2026, the MEPs—led by Mohammed Chahim (S&D) and Jeannette Baljeu (Renew)—ask the Commission to reassess its earlier position that no viable alternative to filters exists, arguing that a filterless cigarette now constitutes a viable alternative.
The question, addressed to the Commission, references a recent Dutch documentary and reports from the World Health Organization, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, and consultancy CE Delft. The MEPs want to know how the Commission evaluates these findings and whether it will revise the Single-Use Plastics Directive, or use REACH or the Tobacco Products Directive, to implement a ban. They note that the initial impact assessment of the Single-Use Plastics Directive ruled out a ban because no alternatives were deemed available, but contend that definitive evidence now shows filters provide no health benefit.
The MEPs' initiative targets a product that is one of the most littered items in the EU, with filters made of cellulose acetate—a plastic that degrades into microplastics. A ban would primarily affect tobacco companies, which would have to redesign cigarettes, and filter manufacturers, who would lose a major market. Consumers would see a change in product design but could benefit from reduced environmental pollution. EU regulators would face the challenge of coordinating across multiple legal frameworks—plastics, chemicals, and tobacco—to ensure a coherent ban.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will signal whether it accepts the new scientific consensus and is prepared to reopen the Single-Use Plastics Directive, or whether it maintains that filters remain a necessary component of cigarettes for harm reduction—a position the MEPs challenge directly.