Laboratories

Laboratories that verify the emission measurements of tobacco products and demonstrate the burning behaviour of cigarettes must be approved and monitored by Valvira. Thus, laboratories shall submit their applications for approval to Valvira. The application must include the following information:

1. The name, contact details and business ID of the laboratory
2. The name and contact details of the person responsible for the laboratory tests
3. The date on which the operations of the laboratory will be suspended, terminated or restarted.

The laboratory must attach a certificate to its application, indicating that the Finnish Accreditation Service (FINAS) has ascertained that the laboratory is competent to perform emission measurements and fire safety tests. The methods applied by the laboratory are also subject to accreditation. The laboratory shall inform Valvira of any changes concerning the grounds for its approval.

According to the Tobacco Act currently in force, a testing laboratory verifying emission measurements does not have to be a public authority, but the measurements, verifications and demonstrations can also be performed by other accredited research laboratories. However, the laboratory must not be directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the tobacco industry. For this reason, a testing laboratory operating in connection with a manufacturer or importer is not allowed to perform measurements or verifications, not even on its own products.

A laboratory is considered approved without a separate decision, if it provides Valvira with a certificate indicating that it has been approved by an authority of another EU Member State and states the grounds on which the laboratory and its verification methods have been approved.

Valvira maintains and updates a list of approved laboratories and communicates it to the Commission.