Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1065. To ask the Minister for Health if and when the mechanics, cost and detail required by manufacturers of vaping products that do not contain tobacco and are not cigarettes to comply with the law, SI 271 of 2016, will be made available; the estimated cost of the notification system to the State per annum; the manner in which the cost has been calculated; the manner in which the scheme will be funded; if and when the notification scheme will be published; the products that will need to be notified, and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24580/16]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 transposed the European Tobacco Products Directive and came into effect on 20 May 2016.

The Regulations include the following provisions in relation to electronic cigarettes and refill containers:

- Obligatory health warnings advising consumers that electronic cigarettes contain nicotine and should not be used by non-smokers;

- Obligatory information leaflets setting out instructions for use and information on adverse effects, risk groups, addictiveness and toxicity;

- Notification requirements for manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers; and

- Mandatory safety and quality requirements setting maximum nicotine concentration levels for electronic cigarettes and maximum volumes for cartridges, tanks and containers of nicotine liquids.

A notice to industry was issued to manufactures and importers of electronic cigarettes and refill containers in March in relation to the notification requirements. This Notice set out that the EU Commission was developing an EU common entry gate (EU-CEG), to enable manufacturers and importers to comply with their reporting and notification obligations, and advised them to register under the EU-CEG to enable them to comply with the notifications requirements. Furthermore, my Department recently issued guidance to provide assistance to manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers on the notification requirements which can be found on my Department's website at .

Under the 2016 Regulations, there is no fee for notifying e-cigarettes or refill containers. This reflects the current legislative position and is subject to any future legislative amendment.