Colin Stevens

A fierce debate over the future of European tobacco policy is intensifying after European Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi (pictured) suggested that alternative nicotine products such as vapes, heated tobacco devices and nicotine pouches may cause the “same level of damage” as traditional cigarettes. The comments, delivered during a Health Policy Conference in Brussels and later […]

A group of European scientists has warned the European Commission that public statements about the risks of smoke-free nicotine products may be misleading and could undermine efforts to reduce smoking across Europe. The experts sent an open letter to the EC President Ursula von der Leyen, criticising official statements about the risks of smoke-free products, […]

The European Commission is facing one of the fiercest rebellions of its new mandate as more than 80 companies, trade bodies, farmers’ unions, manufacturers and retailers accuse Brussels of pushing through a “catastrophically misguided” Tobacco Excise Directive (TED). The sector fears that the new proposal will wreck European industry, turbo-charge organized crime and punish poorer […]

Europe Arrives at COP11 Divided and Defensive as Jobs, Industry and Regional Economies Hang in the Balance     The EU will not be able to participate in the vote during the World Health Organisation's 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that begins today in Geneva. This is […]

A new report from global consultancy KPMG has revealed a sharp rise in illicit cigarette consumption across the European Union, with France and the Netherlands emerging as epicentres of the surge. According to the 2024 KPMG study, smokers in the European Union consumed 38.9 billion illicit cigarettes in 2024, marking a 10.8% increase versus 2023. […]

Over the past three years, Kazakhstan has embarked on a series of comprehensive reforms under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aiming to modernize governance, enhance economic resilience, and improve social welfare. These initiatives are collectively steering the nation towards the vision of a

Currently, the demand for lithium, which is already being called the “new oil”, is increasing in the world. This metal is used in the production of batteries for smartphones, electric vehicles, and solutions to energy storage problems in the renewable energy sector. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2023, sales of electric vehicles […]

The 2024 Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), ranked Kazakhstan as the most peaceful country in Eurasia. The 18th edition of the GPI evaluates 163 independent states and territories on their levels of peacefulness, encompassing 99.7% of the global population. Among the region’s 12 countries, Kazakhstan achieved the […]

The Trans-Caspian transport route as an important area of cooperation between the European Union and Kazakhstan was the focus of attention of the participants of the conference