This policy brief was prepared by the Aspen Institute Romania following a high-level consultation held on 25 February 2026 in Bucharest, which brought together representatives of public institutions, international organizations, academia, the medical profession, and civil society. The consultation examined Romania’s tobacco taxation landscape in the context of the revision of the European Union’s Tobacco Taxation Directive (Council Directive 2011/64/EU), with a focus on the economic, budgetary, and public health implications of current and future policy choices.

The discussion took place under the Chatham House Rule and forms part of the “Tobacco Taxation in Eastern Europe” project, funded by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), a partner of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. The analysis draws on statistical and econometric research conducted by the Aspen Institute Romania, as well as on OECD assessments of the impact of tobacco use in Romania and regional monitoring data from the wiiw HEPA project.

This brief summarizes the evidence presented during the consultation, alongside the key findings and policy recommendations derived from the discussion.