European Union negotiators are near agreement on revising tobacco regulation for the 28 member states, with treatment of e-cigarettes a last but significant hurdle, the European Voice reported.

Negotiators for the Council (member states) and European Parliament are split over whether to allow refillable cartridges in e-cigarettes, according to a report on the website of the weekly newspaper. If the division cannot be overcome, regulation of e-cigarettes may be agreed separately from the rest of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), the article said.
Conciliation talks between the Council, Parliament and European Commission were scheduled to resume the evening of 16 Dec, with an 18 Dec deadline for agreement, the Voice reported.
Council representatives reportedly dropped a proposal to regulate e-cigarettes as medicines, and acceded to Parliament’s position that they be treated as tobacco products.