The EU is calling for smoking and vaping bans to be extended to several outdoors areas.
A proposed revision to the European Council's recommendations on smoke-free environments is calling on countries to extend smoke-free policies to include public playgrounds, amusement parks and swimming pools - as well as public buildings and transport stops.
It also says "effective protection" should be provided from second-hand smoke in outdoor spaces of restaurants, bars and cafés.
The European Commission says it is a "direct bid to help better protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke and aerosols.
The non-binding recommendation also wants to extend smoke-free policies to emerging products such as heated tobacco products, vapes and electronic cigarettes.
Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland Director-General Professor Luke Clancy told Newstalk Breakfast it is part of the EU’s push to become smoke-free by 2040.
"Many people have been advocating for this extension because [the EU has] a policy of being tobacco free by 2040," he said.
"This is a move in that direction and an encouragement to member states to extend their smoke-free laws.
"Ireland is well ahead in many areas of smoke-free law and this would be a help for us".
File photo shows a woman smoking. Picture by: BSIP SA / AlamyProf Clancy said it is ultimately up to the Government how and where the law could work.
"The reality is that the Government can decide where it extends it to," he said.
"For instance, I was appalled that when the restaurants opened after COVID that outside smoking was allowed even when there was food present.
"That was against our existing law so there's a lot of ways we could tighten up".
Asked if he would be in favour of banning smoking outside pubs, Prof Clancy said: "I would but that's not the point, really.
"You can see the kind of places they're talking about - playgrounds, swimming pools and so on - these are extensions which we have been playing with in Ireland anyway," he added.
The EU says 700,000 people per year lose their lives due to tobacco consumption, among which tens of thousands are due to second-hand smoke.
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