Trans-Pacific Partnership talks hit roadblock over anti-smoking policies [View all]

[Catherina]

Trans-Pacific Partnership talks hit roadblock over anti-smoking policies
BILL CURRY

OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Aug. 25 2013, 9:30 PM EDT

Fast-moving trade talks aimed at reaching an ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal have hit a major snag over anti-smoking policies, as divisions emerged over a proposal critics say would expose governments to lawsuits from tobacco companies.

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership debate over tobacco became heated over the weekend, after U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman announced a new position that would allow legal challenges against a country’s anti-smoking policies. Mr. Froman said the change was inspired by extensive consultation with Congress and U.S. stakeholders, and the U.S. Department of Health said it was an important step forward for public health.

But critics said the change was a victory for tobacco lobbyists, because it reversed the original U.S. position of creating a “safe harbour” in the TPP so countries could adopt anti-tobacco measures without fear of legal reprisal.

It is a highly sensitive debate, given global tobacco firms have previously mounted legal challenges against such policies, including a failed attempt to stop Australia from forcing companies to sell cigarettes in plain packaging with graphic health warnings.

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The TPP talks are suddenly a hot domestic issue in the U.S. Anti-smoking groups are strongly condemning the latest proposal on tobacco, as is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who warned in The New York Times that it “would be a colossal public health mistake and potentially contribute to the deaths of tens of millions of people around the world.”

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trans-pacific-partnership-talks-hit-roadblock-over-anti-smoking-policies/article13947024/