烟草在线据《西部澳大利亚人》报道编译　　多米尼加共和国将自己的名字加入了反对澳大利亚实施卷烟平装计划的国家名单。

　　据仲裁机构说，在向日内瓦的世界贸易组织提出自己的辩词时，多米尼加共和国请求与澳大利亚就“有关涉及商标、地理位置和其他应用到烟草产品和包装的平装要求”举行会谈。

　　世界贸易组织说，多米尼加共和国是在乌克兰和洪都拉斯于3月和4月分别提出类似请求后作出这一行动的。

　　世界贸易组织还补充说：“其他几个国家已经请求加入磋商。”

　　从2012年12月1日起，澳大利亚政府希望所有卷烟都以印着图片健康警语的土褐色橄榄绿包装出售。

　　如果这个争端不能通过磋商得到解决的话，提出投诉的国家可以请求世界贸易组织仲裁小组做出正式裁定。而世界贸易组织可能会迫使堪培拉废除这项立法。

　　澳大利亚是第一个规定实施卷烟平装的国家，这项举措正受到英国和加拿大等其他考虑实施类似做法国家的密切关注。

　　澳大利亚估计，与烟草有关的疾病每年造成15000例死亡。

　　与此同时，在一项受到癌症专家们欢迎的举措中，澳大利亚养老基金First State Super已经将所有从事烟草产品制造的公司排除在投资组合之外。

　　总裁Michael Dwyer说，在做出将卷烟和烟草公司从整个投资组合中排除出去的决定后，代表着这个基金77万名会员的大约40%的卫生行业给出了强烈的反馈。

　　Dwyer在一份声明中说：“在做出这个决定时，受托人委员会特别留意了它在卫生界工作的很多会员，特别是来自墨尔本的Peter MacCallum癌症中心的会员们。”

　　他说：“我们的决定反映了我们的委托人和会员表达出的强烈看法，反映了我们对政府为将烟草消费减少到最低程度所开展行动的支持。”

　　他说，对每项基金的投资战略进行复核显示，将烟草公司排除在外不会对回报造成损害。

　　“我们的分析显示，这个决定不会给会员投资回报造成财务影响。”

　　他说：“它补充说明了这个决定，将烟草直接投资排除在外毫无疑问是正确的事情。”

　　墨尔本的Peter MacCallum癌症中心的癌症临床医生和研究人员对宣布的消息表示欢迎。

　　包括Peter Mac的专家在内的卫生专业人士敦促所有养老基金公司将与烟草有关的企业从它们默认的投资选择中剔除。

　　Peter Mac辐射肿瘤学家布朗文·金博士，对First State Super基金打破常规的做法表示欢迎。

　　她说，基金管理着超过30万澳大利亚卫生工作者的养老金供款，是Peter Mac的很多员工的默认基金。

　　金博士说，吸烟是澳大利亚唯一最大的可预防死亡，在澳大利亚，每年有超过15000例因与吸烟有关的癌症和其他肺部疾病造成的死亡。

　　Peter Mac肺部服务机构的主席大卫·波尔教授说，First State Super的做法“应该在整个养老金行业推广。”

　　评论：

　　关于是否应该实行卷烟平装计划，目前全世界分成了两大阵营，一类是澳大利亚、新西兰、英国、加拿大等控烟规定比较严格的发达国家，其中澳大利亚已明确规定从今年12月起必须以平装出售卷烟，而新西兰、英国和加拿大则欲效仿澳大利亚，并密切着关注澳大利亚的进展；另一阵营是强烈反对卷烟平装的一些烟草生产大国，如古巴、菲律宾、印尼、乌克兰、洪都拉斯、多米尼加等国家。很显然，这已经不是一个国家的事情，澳大利亚投下的这颗石子已经激起了千层浪。如今这一争端已提交WTO进行磋商，如果不能解决，那么WTO仲裁小组会作出裁定，届时澳大利亚能否顺利实行平装立法还是个未知数，但两个阵营的较量估计还会继续。

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