Flexibilities in WTO law to support tobacco control regulation

American Journal of Law and Medicine

Volumn 39, Issue 2-3, 2013, Pages 199-217

  Voon, Tania ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; COMMERCIAL PHENOMENA; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HUMAN; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; LEGAL ASPECT; PACKAGING; TOBACCO INDUSTRY;

COMMERCE; HEALTH POLICY; HUMANS; INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES; PRODUCT LABELING; PRODUCT PACKAGING; TOBACCO INDUSTRY;

MLCS; MLOWN;

EID: 84880074897     PISSN: 00988588     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/009885881303900201     Document Type: Article

References (150)

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2. 55 U. N. T. S. 194
3. [hereinafter GATT 1947].
4. Appellate Body Report, United Stales-Measures Affecting the Production and Sale of Clove Cigarettes, WT/DS406/AB/R (Apr. 4, 2012)
5. [hereinafter Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes];
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7. [hereinafter Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes].
8. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶¶ 222-226.
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10. [hereinafter Panel Request by Ukraine, Plain Packaging];
11. see also Request for the Establishment of a Panel by Honduras, Australia-Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging, WT/DS435/16 (Oct. 17, 2012)
12. [hereinafter Panel Request by Honduras, Plain Packaging];
13. see also Request for the Establishment of a Panel by the Dominican Republic, Australia-Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging, WT/DS441/15 (Nov. 14, 2012)
14. [hereinafter Panel Request by the Dominican Republic, Plain Packaging].
15. Appellate Body Report, United States-Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products, WT/DS381/AB/R (May 16, 2012)
16. [hereinafter Appellate Body Report, Tuna];
17. Panel Report, United States-Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products, WT/DS381/R (Sept. 15, 2011).
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19. [hereinafter Appellate Body Reports, COOL];
20. Panel Reports, United States-Certain Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) Requirements, WT/DS384/R, WT/DS386/R (Nov. 18, 2011).
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22. [hereinafter TBT Agreement].
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24. [hereinafter GATT 1994].
25. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex 1C, 1869 U. N. T. S. 299
26. [hereinafter TRIPS Agreement].
27. GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
28. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XX (b).
29. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, opened for signature June 16, 2003, 2302 U. N. T. S. 166
30. [hereinafter WHO FCTC].
31. General Agreement on Trade in Services, Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex IB, 1869 U. N. T. S. 183
32. [hereinafter GATS].
33. Panel Report, United Stales-Measures Affecting the Importation, Internal Sale and Use of Tobacco, ¶¶ 12-46, DS44/R (Aug. 12, 1994).
34. Panel Report, Thailand-Restrictions on Importation of and Internal Taxes on Cigarettes, ¶¶ 6, 63, DS10/R-37S/200 (Oct. 5, 1990) (GATT)
35. [hereinafter Panel Report, Thailand-Restrictions].
36. GATT 1947, supra note 1, ¶¶ 16-20.
37. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
38. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XI.
39. Panel Report, Thailand-Restrictions, supra note 14, ¶ 73.
40. See Appellate Body Report, Dominican Republic-Measures Affecting the Importation and Internal Sale of Cigarettes, ¶¶ 1-6, 21-22, WT/DS302/AB/R (Apr. 25, 2005);
41. Panel Report, Dominican Republic-Measures Affecting the Importation and Internal Sale of Cigarettes, ¶¶ 8.1-8.3 WT/DS302/R
42. [hereinafter Panel Report, Dominican Republic Cigarettes];
43. Appellate Body Report, Thailand-Customs and Fiscal Measures on Cigarettes from the Philippines, WT/DS371/AB/R (June 17, 2011);
44. Panel Report, Thailand-Customs and Fiscal Measures on Cigarettes from the Philippines, WT/DS371/R (Nov. 15, 2010).
45. Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 7.1.
46. See Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 298; see also infra Part V. B.
47. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 224.
48. For further discussion of this case, see Tania Voon, United States-Measures Affecting the Production and Sale of Clove Cigarettes, 106 AM. J. INT'L L. 824 (2012).
49. Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 7.57.
50. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 225.
51. Statements by the United States at the April 24, 2012, DSB Meeting, US MISSION GENEVA, http://geneva.usmission. gov/2012/04/25/statements-by-the- united-states-at-the-april-24-2012-dsbmeeting/(last visited Mar. 31, 2013).
52. FDA, TOBACCO PRODS. SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMM., MENTHOL CIGARETTES AND PUBLIC HEALTH: REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS 225(2011), available at http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/ CommitteesMeetingMaterials/Tobac coProductsScientificAdvisoryCommittee/ UCM269697.pdf.
53. Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 7.57.
54. Panel Request by Ukraine, Plain Packaging, supra note 4;
55. Panel Request by Honduras, Plain Packaging, supra note 4;
56. Panel Request by the Dominican Republic, Plain Packaging, supra note 4.
57. See Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) (Austl.).
58. Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011 (Cth) ss 9.13(1), 9.19 (1) (Austl.);
59. see Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 (Cth) regs 2.2.1(2), 2.3.4 (1) (Austl.).
60. See Jane Kelsey, The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: A Cold-Plated Gift to the Global Tobacco Industry?, 39 AM. J. L. & MED. 237, 253-58 (2013);
61. Jonathan Liberman, Plainly Constitutional: The Upholding of Plain Tobacco Packaging by the High Court of Australia, 39 AM. J. L. & MED. 361 (2013).
62. See Tania Voon & Andrew Mitchell, Implications of WTO Law for Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES 109 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012).
63. See Panel Report, Thailand-Restrictions, supra note 14, ¶ 50.
64. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 11.
65. WHO FCTC, supra note 11, at 166.
66. Panel Report, Dominican Republic Cigarettes, supra note 22, ¶ 7.216.
67. Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 7.1.
68. Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) s 3 (1) (b) (Austl.).
69. Panel Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 2.29.
70. See Parlies to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, WHO, http://www.who.int/fctc/signatories-parties/en/index.html (last updated Dec. 7, 2012).
71. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties art. 31 (3) (c), May 23, 1969, 1155 U. N. T. S. 33 1.
72. See Report of the Study Group of the Int'l Law Comm'n, Fragmentation of International Law: Difficulties Arising from the Diversification and Expansion of International Law, ¶ 472, A/CN.4/L.682 (Apr. 13, 2006) (finalized by Martti Koskenniemi).
73. Panel Reports, European Communities-Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products, % 7.68, WT/DS291/R, WT/DS292/R, WT/DS293/R (Sept. 29, 2006)
74. [hereinafter Panel Reports, Biotech Products].
75. Appellate Body Report, European Communities and Certain Member States-Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft, ¶¶ 846, 855, WT/DS316/AB/R (May 18, 2011).
76. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, supra note 47, at art. 31 (1) (emphasis added).
77. See, e.g., Appellate Body Report, United States-Import Prohibition of Certain Shrimp and Shrimp Products, ¶¶ 132, 167-69, WT/DS58/AB/R (Oct. 12, 1998)
78. [hereinafter Appellate Body Report, Shrimp];
79. see Appellate Body Report, European Communities-Conditions for the Granting of Tariff Preferences to Developing Countries, ¶ 163, WT/DS246/AB/R (Apr. 7, 2004);
80. see also TANIA VOON, CULTURAL PRODUCTS AND THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 130-34 (2007).
81. Panel Reports, Biotech Products, supra note 49, ¶ 7.94.
82. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
83. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at arts. XI (1), II (1) (a).
84. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
85. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at arts. I, III.
86. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
87. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XX.
88. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
89. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XX.
90. See Appellate Body Report, Shrimp, supra note 53, ¶¶ 118-119.
91. See GATT 1994, supra note 8, ¶ 1 (a);
92. see also GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XX.
93. Appellate Body Report, Brazil-Measures Affecting Imports of Retreaded Tyres, ¶¶ 156, 178, 182, WT/DS332/AB/R (Dec. 3, 2007)
94. [hereinafter Appellate Body Report, Retreaded Tyres].
95. Appellate Body Report, European Communities-Measures Affecting Asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Products, ¶ 172, WT/DS135/AB/R (March 12, 2001) (internal quotation marks omitted).
96. See GATS, supra note 12, at art. II.
97. See, e.g., Appellate Body Report, United Slates-Measures Affecting the Cross-Border Supply of Gambling and Betting Services, ¶ 305, WT/DS285/AB/R (Apr. 7, 2005)
98. [hereinafter Appellate Body Report, Gambling].
99. See, e.g., Appellate Body Report, Retreaded Tyres, supra note 62, ¶ 143.
100. See Panel Request by Ukraine, Plain Packaging, supra note 4, at 4;
101. see also Panel Request by Honduras, Plain Packaging, supra note 4, at 3;
102. Panel Request by the Dominican Republic, Plain Packaging, supra note 4, at 3.
103. TBT Agreement, supra note 7, at Annex 1, ¶ 1.
104. See Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods, Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex 1A, 1867 U. N. T. S. 154 (General interpretative note to Annex 1 A).
105. TBT Agreement, supra note 7, at art. 2.1.
106. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 101.
107. See Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 271.
108. See Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶ 225.
109. GATT 1947, supra note 1, at art. XX;
110. See, e.g., Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 271.
111. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 180;
112. Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶ 214;
113. see also Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 269.
114. Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 270.
115. Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶ 215.
116. Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 271.
117. Panel Report, Thailand-Restrictions, supra note 14, ¶ 78.
118. TBT Agreement, supra note 7, at art. 2.2.
119. Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶ 407 (b) - (e). Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶¶ 373-74, 471.
120. Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶¶ 379, 442, 469;
121. Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶ 323.
122. See, e.g., Appellate Body Report, Gambling, supra note 74, ¶ 282;
123. Appellate Body Report, China-Measures Affecting Trading Rights and Distribution Services for Certain Publications and Audiovisual Entertainment Products, ¶ 319, WT/DS363/AB/R (Dec. 21, 2009).
124. Appellate Body Reports, COOL, supra note 6, ¶ 471.
125. TRIPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 7.
126. CARLOS CORREA, TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: A COMMENTARY ON THE TRIPS AGREEMENT 91-92 (2007);
127. see also 1 Peter Yu, The Objectives and Principles of the TRIPS Agreement, in RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY UNDER WTO RULES: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE WTO 146 (Carlos M. Correa ed., 2010).
128. CORREA, supra note 106, at 92.
129. TROPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 8.1.
130. Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization art. IV. 1, Apr. 15, 1994, 1867 U. N. T. S. 154.
131. WTO, Ministerial Conference, Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health of 14 November 2001, WT/MIN (01)/DEC/2, 41 I. L. M. 755 (2001).
132. Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes art. 3.2, Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex 2, 1869 U. N. T. S. 401
133. 33 ILM 1226.
134. See, e.g., Appellate Body Report, United States-Countervailing Duties on Certain Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products from Germany, ¶ 61, WT/DS213/AB/R (Nov. 28, 2002).
135. Andrew D. Mitchell & Tania Voon, Patents and Public Health in the WTO, FTAs and Beyond: Tension and Conflict in International Law, 43 J. WORLD TRADE 571, 580-81 (2009).
136. See Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, supra note 109, at art. IX:2.
137. Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 251-55;
138. see Frederick Abbott, WTO Dispute Settlement Practice Relating to the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights, in THE WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT SYSTEM 1995-2003, 445 (Federico Ortino & Ernst-Ulrich Petersmann eds., 2004);
139. see also James Thuo Gathii, The Legal Status of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 15 HARV. J. L. & TECH. 292, 296-99 (2002).
140. See Appellate Body Report, Clove Cigarettes, supra note 2, ¶ 268-269;
141. Appellate Body Report, Tuna, supra note 5, ¶¶ 371-372.
142. TRIPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 16.1.
143. See, e.g., NUNO PlRES DE CARVALHO, THE TRIPS REGIME OF TRADEMARKS AND DESIGNS 384 (Kluwer Law International, 2d ed. 2011);
144. Panel Report, European Communities-Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs, Complaint by Australia, ¶ 7.246, WT/DS290/R (Mar. 15, 2005).
145. TRIPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 17;
146. Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) s 28 (Austl.).
147. TRIPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 15.4.
148. Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) s 28 (Austl.).
149. TRIPS Agreement, supra note 9, at art. 20.
150. Benn McGrady, TRIPs and Trademarks: The Case of Tobacco, 3 WORLD TRADE REV. 53, 61 (2004).