{"id":5166,"date":"2025-10-20T10:37:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T08:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/?p=5166"},"modified":"2025-12-17T22:47:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:47:11","slug":"rethinking-ted-for-real-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/rethinking-ted-for-real-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking TED for real life"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5166\" class=\"elementor elementor-5166\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-486b2e8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"486b2e8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e8b66e3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e8b66e3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c83e332 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c83e332\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-87c3f6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"87c3f6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a style=\"font-family: seitu-variable, sans-serif; font-weight: 300; font-size: 12px;\" href=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/homepage\/\">home page <\/a>\u2190 Buzz@Bruss! Edition #8 \u2190 Rethinking TED for real life<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-abc1839 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"abc1839\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd46bb1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fd46bb1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8c779b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8c779b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"355\" src=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-1024x454.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-5477\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-1024x454.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-300x133.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-768x340.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-1536x680.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8-scaled-1-2048x907.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5181db0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5181db0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a952274 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a952274\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf01165 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bf01165\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b31134f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b31134f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20c2218 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"20c2218\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote-1024x255.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-5478\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote-1024x255.png 1024w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote-300x75.png 300w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote-768x191.png 768w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote-1536x383.png 1536w, https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_post_Article_01_8_quote.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f937e50 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f937e50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With the proposal for a revised Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) barely two months old, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her September <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/SPEECH_25_2053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>State of the Union address <strong><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u2192<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/a>, acknowledged the increasing financial burden on consumers across Europe. Her remarks reflected a broader concern about the cost-of-living crisis, which continues to weigh on purchasing power and economic stability. With inflation still lingering and disposable incomes stretched, the imperative for policies that ease the cost-of-living burden on households has never been clearer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-259c59f elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"259c59f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Given the challenges consumers now face, the current TED proposal deserves a hard second look and an open, honest debate. As currently drafted, steep excise tax increases risk compounding inflationary pressures. According to the Commission\u2019s own <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX%3A52025SC0560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Impact Assessment (SWD) <strong><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u2192<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, the proposed option would add 0.55 percentage points to EU inflation \u2013 further squeezing purchasing power and disproportionately affecting lower income citizens. That increase alone amounts to roughly one quarter of the ECB\u2019s 2% inflation ceiling.<\/p><p>Aggressive fiscal and regulatory measures can backfire when they ignore market realities. Despite acknowledging these risks, the Commission has set aside more proportionate options identified in the TED Impact Assessment. <br \/>Excessive taxation erodes purchasing power and diverts consumers to illicit channels, undermining public health goals and tax revenues. Instead of stabilizing the legal market through a measured, compliance-oriented approach, one dimensional responses risk exacerbating pressure on the purchasing power of lower income consumers.<\/p><p>Thoughtful policy design must reflect economic realities. As President von der Leyen urged leaders to meet people where they are, this is the moment to align the TED proposal with that same call. If the aim is to prevent tax evasion while avoiding cost-of-living shocks and preserving continuity, then cost-of-living resilience must be the guiding principle, not an afterthought.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52d50d1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"52d50d1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42ed8a8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"42ed8a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e1a4103 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e1a4103\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f83f80 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2f83f80\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7edcf79 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7edcf79\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66d0f00 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"66d0f00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0cf3e95 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0cf3e95\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b178eb e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5b178eb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b12f55e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b12f55e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f819cc9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f819cc9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Buzz@Bruss!<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9500d0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e9500d0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e135695 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e135695\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>#8<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1e3956 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b1e3956\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b35df98 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b35df98\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>more articles<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e1531d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"e1531d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c7eaee e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1c7eaee\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" href=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/stick-to-science\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d8b83a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7d8b83a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Stick to science<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e327bd elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"7e327bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<a class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25c6f52 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"25c6f52\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" href=\"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/throwing-spaghetti-at-the-wall\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-177e2f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"177e2f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Throwing spaghetti at the wall<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83af1c3 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"83af1c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e17978a elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"e17978a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>home page \u2190 Buzz@Bruss! Edition #8 \u2190 Rethinking TED for real life With the proposal for a revised Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) barely two months old, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her September State of the Union address \u2192, acknowledged the increasing financial burden on consumers across Europe. Her remarks reflected a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[26],"class_list":["post-5166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe","tag-7_a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5166"}],"version-history":[{"count":56,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5568,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5166\/revisions\/5568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jtieuaffairs.brussels\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}