Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

Ambassador Dacio Castillo (Honduras)
13 CONCERNS WITH RESPECT TO MEASURES RELATED TO PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
517. Australia's tobacco plain packaging measure is a legitimate public health measure which is consistent with Australia's obligations under the WTO Agreement. Australia stands ready to defend its measure in the WTO. The WTO dispute settlement proceedings brought by certain Members against Australia's plain packaging measure should not be invoked to justify calls for another Member to delay the decision to develop and implement its own legitimate tobacco control measures. As the matter is currently subject to panel proceedings, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further.
The Council took note of the statements made.
13.1. The Chairman said that this agenda item had been put on the agenda at the written request by the delegation of Cuba.

13.2. The representatives of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Nigeria, Canada, and Switzerland took the floor under this agenda item.

13.3. The Council took note of the statements made.

IP/C/M/75, IP/C/M/75/Add.1