Russia

As part of the Eurasian Economic Union, health warnings on smoked tobacco product packaging must comply with the Technical Regulations for Tobacco Products (TR TC 035/2015).

Picture and text health warnings are required to cover 50% of the front and back of tobacco product packaging. A total of 12 warnings have been approved for circulation. The 12 warnings must be applied to an equal number of packages.

The law meets FCTC Art. 11 with respect to health warning size, location, and rotation. To more fully align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require that health warnings or messages be updated every 12-36 months.

The law requires a single text warning to cover 30% of the front side of the package. The warning will state “This tobacco product will harm your health.” Such warnings must be printed on white edged by a black frame. The warning must be in capital letters in black against a white background with fat, clear, easily readable font of maximally large size. The interline spacing must not exceed the height of the font. The information must be equally distributed over the entire area encompassed by the border. Tobacco companies may exploit such ambiguities to lessen the effect of the warnings.

The law does not meet the minimum requirements of FCTC Art. 11 with respect to size because the warning is only on one side, while the FCTC requires a warning on both sides. Furthermore, to align with the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines, the law should require pictorial warnings covering 50% of all principal display areas. Additionally, the law should provide for multiple rotating warnings, as a single warning will lose its effectiveness over time. By adding larger pictorial warnings, mandating the rotation schedule, and clarifying details of the warnings, the law will align with FCTC Art. 11 and the FCTC Art. 11 Guidelines.

The Eurasian Economic Union's Technical Regulations for Tobacco Products do not apply to smokeless tobacco products.