"I believe that if Australia wins the international litigation, more European states will declare their intention to introduce plain packaging," the commissioner said after the meeting of EU health ministers in Vilnius.
Australia is so far the only country selling cigarettes in unified packages that do not indicate brand names or other exclusive signs, with the name of the manufacturer written in a unified font. The packages feature warnings about hazards of smoking.
Tobacco exporters have filed a complaint against Australia to the World Trade Organization, saying that this constituted a violation of intellectual property rights and distort competition.
Among EU nations, Ireland is the only state that has announced its intention to follow the Australian example.
An updated Tobacco Products Directive approved by EU member-states last month does not introduce the requirement of plain packaging, leaving it up to the member-states to decide.
Under the directive, slim cigarettes would be sold in ordinary packaging to make them less attractive, with visual and verbal warnings taking at least 65 percent of the package area.
The directive also envisages to step up control of electronic cigarettes containing more than 1 milligram of nicotine.
For the directive to take effect, it will still have to be approved by the European Parliament. In the negotiations, member-states will be represented by Lithuania in capacity as EU Council presidency.
Lithuania's Healthcare Minister Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis said on Tuesday that the directive could be approved by the end of 2013.
"Our optimistic objective is to finish the adoption during our presidency in December," the minister said at a news conference.
The two-day informal meeting of EU ministers focused on agreeing on ways to reduce smoking among young people. Ministers also exchanged opinions on a sustainable health care system and well-being of elderly people.
