煙草在線(xiàn)據(jù)《西部澳大利亞人》報(bào)道編譯　　多米尼加共和國(guó)將自己的名字加入了反對(duì)澳大利亞實(shí)施卷煙平裝計(jì)劃的國(guó)家名單。

　　據(jù)仲裁機(jī)構(gòu)說(shuō)，在向日內(nèi)瓦的世界貿(mào)易組織提出自己的辯詞時(shí)，多米尼加共和國(guó)請(qǐng)求與澳大利亞就“有關(guān)涉及商標(biāo)、地理位置和其他應(yīng)用到煙草產(chǎn)品和包裝的平裝要求”舉行會(huì)談。

　　世界貿(mào)易組織說(shuō)，多米尼加共和國(guó)是在烏克蘭和洪都拉斯于3月和4月分別提出類(lèi)似請(qǐng)求后作出這一行動(dòng)的。

　　世界貿(mào)易組織還補(bǔ)充說(shuō)：“其他幾個(gè)國(guó)家已經(jīng)請(qǐng)求加入磋商?！?/p>

　　從2012年12月1日起，澳大利亞政府希望所有卷煙都以印著圖片健康警語(yǔ)的土褐色橄欖綠包裝出售。

　　如果這個(gè)爭(zhēng)端不能通過(guò)磋商得到解決的話(huà)，提出投訴的國(guó)家可以請(qǐng)求世界貿(mào)易組織仲裁小組做出正式裁定。而世界貿(mào)易組織可能會(huì)迫使堪培拉廢除這項(xiàng)立法。

　　澳大利亞是第一個(gè)規(guī)定實(shí)施卷煙平裝的國(guó)家，這項(xiàng)舉措正受到英國(guó)和加拿大等其他考慮實(shí)施類(lèi)似做法國(guó)家的密切關(guān)注。

　　澳大利亞估計(jì)，與煙草有關(guān)的疾病每年造成15000例死亡。

　　與此同時(shí)，在一項(xiàng)受到癌癥專(zhuān)家們歡迎的舉措中，澳大利亞養(yǎng)老基金First State Super已經(jīng)將所有從事煙草產(chǎn)品制造的公司排除在投資組合之外。

　　總裁Michael Dwyer說(shuō)，在做出將卷煙和煙草公司從整個(gè)投資組合中排除出去的決定后，代表著這個(gè)基金77萬(wàn)名會(huì)員的大約40%的衛(wèi)生行業(yè)給出了強(qiáng)烈的反饋。

　　Dwyer在一份聲明中說(shuō)：“在做出這個(gè)決定時(shí)，受托人委員會(huì)特別留意了它在衛(wèi)生界工作的很多會(huì)員，特別是來(lái)自墨爾本的Peter MacCallum癌癥中心的會(huì)員們?！?/p>

　　他說(shuō)：“我們的決定反映了我們的委托人和會(huì)員表達(dá)出的強(qiáng)烈看法，反映了我們對(duì)政府為將煙草消費(fèi)減少到最低程度所開(kāi)展行動(dòng)的支持?！?/p>

　　他說(shuō)，對(duì)每項(xiàng)基金的投資戰(zhàn)略進(jìn)行復(fù)核顯示，將煙草公司排除在外不會(huì)對(duì)回報(bào)造成損害。

　　“我們的分析顯示，這個(gè)決定不會(huì)給會(huì)員投資回報(bào)造成財(cái)務(wù)影響?！?/p>

　　他說(shuō)：“它補(bǔ)充說(shuō)明了這個(gè)決定，將煙草直接投資排除在外毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)是正確的事情?！?/p>

　　墨爾本的Peter MacCallum癌癥中心的癌癥臨床醫(yī)生和研究人員對(duì)宣布的消息表示歡迎。

　　包括Peter Mac的專(zhuān)家在內(nèi)的衛(wèi)生專(zhuān)業(yè)人士敦促所有養(yǎng)老基金公司將與煙草有關(guān)的企業(yè)從它們默認(rèn)的投資選擇中剔除。

　　Peter Mac輻射腫瘤學(xué)家布朗文·金博士，對(duì)First State Super基金打破常規(guī)的做法表示歡迎。

　　她說(shuō)，基金管理著超過(guò)30萬(wàn)澳大利亞衛(wèi)生工作者的養(yǎng)老金供款，是Peter Mac的很多員工的默認(rèn)基金。

　　金博士說(shuō)，吸煙是澳大利亞唯一最大的可預(yù)防死亡，在澳大利亞，每年有超過(guò)15000例因與吸煙有關(guān)的癌癥和其他肺部疾病造成的死亡。

　　Peter Mac肺部服務(wù)機(jī)構(gòu)的主席大衛(wèi)·波爾教授說(shuō)，First State Super的做法“應(yīng)該在整個(gè)養(yǎng)老金行業(yè)推廣。”

　　評(píng)論：

　　關(guān)于是否應(yīng)該實(shí)行卷煙平裝計(jì)劃，目前全世界分成了兩大陣營(yíng)，一類(lèi)是澳大利亞、新西蘭、英國(guó)、加拿大等控?zé)熞?guī)定比較嚴(yán)格的發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家，其中澳大利亞已明確規(guī)定從今年12月起必須以平裝出售卷煙，而新西蘭、英國(guó)和加拿大則欲效仿澳大利亞，并密切著關(guān)注澳大利亞的進(jìn)展；另一陣營(yíng)是強(qiáng)烈反對(duì)卷煙平裝的一些煙草生產(chǎn)大國(guó)，如古巴、菲律賓、印尼、烏克蘭、洪都拉斯、多米尼加等國(guó)家。很顯然，這已經(jīng)不是一個(gè)國(guó)家的事情，澳大利亞投下的這顆石子已經(jīng)激起了千層浪。如今這一爭(zhēng)端已提交WTO進(jìn)行磋商，如果不能解決，那么WTO仲裁小組會(huì)作出裁定，屆時(shí)澳大利亞能否順利實(shí)行平裝立法還是個(gè)未知數(shù)，但兩個(gè)陣營(yíng)的較量估計(jì)還會(huì)繼續(xù)。

New Bid at WTO to Halt Plain Cigarette Packaging

　　The Dominican Republic has added its name to a growing list of countries opposing Australia's plans for plain cigarette packaging.

　　Lodging its dispute with the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, the Dominican Republic has requested talks with Australia "on certain measures concerning trademarks, geographical indications and other plain packaging requirements applicable to tobacco products and packaging", according to the arbiter.

　　The development follows similar requests by Ukraine and Honduras in March and April, the organisation said.

　　"Several other countries have requested to join in the consultations," the WTO added.

　　From December 1 2012, the Australian Government wants all cigarettes to be sold in drab olive-green packets with graphic health warnings.

　　If the dispute cannot be resolved through consultation, the complainants can request formal adjudication through a WTO panel, which could force Canberra to scrap the legislation.

　　Australia is the first country to mandate plain packaging and the move is being closely watched by other countries considering similar approaches, including Britain and Canada.

　　Australia estimates tobacco-related illnesses cause 15,000 deaths a year.

　　Meanwhile, Australian superannuation fund First State Super has wiped from its investment portfolios all companies involved in the manufacture of tobacco products, in a move welcomed by cancer specialists.

　　Chief executive Michael Dwyer said the decision to exclude the cigarette and tobacco companies from its entire investment portfolio followed strong feedback from the health industry, which represents about 40 per cent of the fund's 770,000 members.

　　"In reaching its decision the Trustee Board had been particularly mindful of its many members who work in the health sector, especially members from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne," Mr Dwyer said in a statement.

　　"Our decision reflects both the strong views expressed by our employers and members and our support for government initiatives to minimise tobacco consumption," he said.

　　He said a review of each fund's investment strategies showed excluding tobacco companies would not compromise returns.

　　"Our analysis shows there will be inconsequential financial impact from this decision for members investment returns.

　　"It adds to the decision that the exclusion of direct tobacco investments is unquestionably the right thing to do," he said.

　　Cancer clinicians and researchers at Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre welcomed the announcement.

　　Health professionals, including specialists at Peter Mac, have urged all superannuation companies to exclude tobacco-related corporations from their default investment options.

　　Peter Mac radiation oncologist Dr Bronwyn King applauded First State Super for "breaking the mould".

　　She said the fund manages superannuation contributions for more than 300,000 Australian health workers and was the default fund for many Peter Mac staff.

　　Dr King said smoking was the single largest preventable cause of death in Australia, with more than 15,000 deaths in Australia caused by tobacco-related cancer and other lung diseases every year.

　　The chairman of Peter Mac's Lung Service, Professor David Ball, said the move by First State "should be replicated across the superannuation industry". Enditem