煙草在線據《西部澳大利亞人》報道編譯　　多米尼加共和國將自己的名字加入了反對澳大利亞實施卷煙平裝計劃的國家名單。

　　據仲裁機構說，在向日內瓦的世界貿易組織提出自己的辯詞時，多米尼加共和國請求與澳大利亞就“有關涉及商標、地理位置和其他應用到煙草產品和包裝的平裝要求”舉行會談。

　　世界貿易組織說，多米尼加共和國是在烏克蘭和洪都拉斯于3月和4月分別提出類似請求后作出這一行動的。

　　世界貿易組織還補充說：“其他幾個國家已經請求加入磋商。”

　　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的土褐色橄欖綠包裝出售。

　　如果這個爭端不能通過磋商得到解決的話，提出投訴的國家可以請求世界貿易組織仲裁小組做出正式裁定。而世界貿易組織可能會迫使堪培拉廢除這項立法。

　　澳大利亞是第一個規定實施卷煙平裝的國家，這項舉措正受到英國和加拿大等其他考慮實施類似做法國家的密切關注。

　　澳大利亞估計，與煙草有關的疾病每年造成15000例死亡。

　　與此同時，在一項受到癌癥專家們歡迎的舉措中，澳大利亞養老基金First State Super已經將所有從事煙草產品制造的公司排除在投資組合之外。

　　總裁Michael Dwyer說，在做出將卷煙和煙草公司從整個投資組合中排除出去的決定后，代表著這個基金77萬名會員的大約40%的衛生行業給出了強烈的反饋。

　　Dwyer在一份聲明中說：“在做出這個決定時，受托人委員會特別留意了它在衛生界工作的很多會員，特別是來自墨爾本的Peter MacCallum癌癥中心的會員們。”

　　他說：“我們的決定反映了我們的委托人和會員表達出的強烈看法，反映了我們對政府為將煙草消費減少到最低程度所開展行動的支持。”

　　他說，對每項基金的投資戰略進行復核顯示，將煙草公司排除在外不會對回報造成損害。

　　“我們的分析顯示，這個決定不會給會員投資回報造成財務影響。”

　　他說：“它補充說明了這個決定，將煙草直接投資排除在外毫無疑問是正確的事情。”

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

　　包括Peter Mac的專家在內的衛生專業人士敦促所有養老基金公司將與煙草有關的企業從它們默認的投資選擇中剔除。

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

　　她說，基金管理著超過30萬澳大利亞衛生工作者的養老金供款，是Peter Mac的很多員工的默認基金。

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

　　Peter Mac肺部服務機構的主席大衛·波爾教授說，First State Super的做法“應該在整個養老金行業推廣。”

　　評論：

　　關于是否應該實行卷煙平裝計劃，目前全世界分成了兩大陣營，一類是澳大利亞、新西蘭、英國、加拿大等控煙規定比較嚴格的發達國家，其中澳大利亞已明確規定從今年12月起必須以平裝出售卷煙，而新西蘭、英國和加拿大則欲效仿澳大利亞，并密切著關注澳大利亞的進展；另一陣營是強烈反對卷煙平裝的一些煙草生產大國，如古巴、菲律賓、印尼、烏克蘭、洪都拉斯、多米尼加等國家。很顯然，這已經不是一個國家的事情，澳大利亞投下的這顆石子已經激起了千層浪。如今這一爭端已提交WTO進行磋商，如果不能解決，那么WTO仲裁小組會作出裁定，屆時澳大利亞能否順利實行平裝立法還是個未知數，但兩個陣營的較量估計還會繼續。

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