New cigarette packages with photos showing negative effects of smoking should be on the Croatian market by the end of this year. This is in line with the application of a new directive from the European Union regarding tobacco products which was enforced by the law at midnight on the 20th of May, 2016. The directive determines that illustrations warning about negative effects of smoking have to cover 65% of the total package surface of all tobacco products. Old tobacco packages have to be withdrawn from the market until 20th of May, 2017.

The directive is a legislative act of the European Union but is not applied to EU members directly. The EU member countries may themselves decide about their law for implementing the decision of the EU directive. The member countries can introduce even stricter regulations than those of the European Union. The regulations also include the ban of the tobacco products with aromas such as fruit or vanilla. Menthol cigarettes will be banned in the next four years, until 2020 because some governments asked for a longer transitional period.

The big tobacco manufacturers filed charges at the EU Court against this directive but the Court rejected the charges last week. The European commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis said, ''The decision of the Court confirms that public health in the European Union is more important than economic profit''. He also added that the directive brought instruments that could provide longer life and health of the European citizens and reduce the death rate. Tobacco is the largest cause of premature death that can be avoided. ''Every year more than 700,000 people die from smoking. That is more than the population of Malta'', said the EU commissioner.