ECJ upholds tobacco packaging rules

The European Court of Justice has upheld a law that will standardise packaging and ban the advertising of e-cigarettes finding that the laws "did not go beyond the limits of what is appropriate and necessary".

Under the new rules, it is understood that health warnings will have to cover 65% of the front and back of cigarette packaging.

The rules are due to take effect from 20 May, but the new packets will not be on sale until stocks of existing packets have been cleared.

Separately, in the UK, the Government wants to introduce tobacco packs with plain packaging but this is the subject of a separate ongoing legal challenge, on which the High Court is due to rule later this month.  Whether that is then the end of the story, we shall see…