Basket case & corrupt nations (Zimbabwe etc) to launch WTO attack on Australia's #plainpack law in WTO.tinyurl.com/6qjnkoc
— Simon Chapman (@SimonChapman6) March 6, 2012
Hostility to plain packaging laws mounts
More countries in a major trading block have put their hostility to New Zealand's plain cigarette packaging proposals on the record.
Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain are the latest to express opposition to laws requiring tobacco to be sold in plain, unbranded packaging.- raising their concerns at the latest meeting of an influential committee of the EU.
Their concern was lodged with the EU Market Access Advisory as the government continues to weigh up whether or not to follow Australia and introduce the laws here (in NZ).Tsk. Typical, isn't it? Just when you want to get something done around the place and those world-renowned insane crooks in Berlin and Madrid go and stick their oar in.
"One body of thought says that if New Zealand were to introduce plain packaging then manufacturers would have to cease using their trademarks and that would represent a failure to provide adequate protection for those assets, [Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich] says.
"That could make us in breach of the trade agreements and expose us to dispute proceedings at the World Trade Organisation. The resulting damage to our reputation as a good, reliable trading partner would be huge and the impact on our export income incalculable.
"I sometimes wonder if this occurs to public health activists who blindly call for plain packaging as if it's some sort of magic wand that will solve all our ills."Of course it doesn't, Katherine. They have bigger fish to fry with far more calm, balanced - and in no way 'basket case' - proposals of their own.
Next generation/tobacco pack warnings to incorporate scratch n' sniff tabs with cadarverine 2go with gangrene image? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putrescine
— Simon Chapman (@SimonChapman6) December 20, 2012
H/T Two, count 'em, two NZ jewel thieves via e-mail
