????煙草在線據(jù)atg.state.vt.us報(bào)道編譯　　美國佛蒙特州首席檢察官威廉?H.索瑞爾正領(lǐng)導(dǎo)一項(xiàng)努力在提議簽署的泛太平洋自由貿(mào)易協(xié)議中保留聯(lián)邦、州及地方煙草控制措施的工作。在1月27日通過美國全國首席檢察官協(xié)會(huì)發(fā)布，并由首席檢察官索瑞爾、愛達(dá)荷州首席檢察官勞倫斯?瓦斯登聯(lián)合撰寫的一封信中，44個(gè)州和領(lǐng)地的執(zhí)法機(jī)構(gòu)首席長官呼吁美國貿(mào)易代表將煙草和煙草產(chǎn)品排除在目前處于磋商階段的泛太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)議之外。這將保留聯(lián)邦、州和地方政府為減少煙草使用，保護(hù)公眾健康而對(duì)煙草產(chǎn)品實(shí)施管理的能力。

????據(jù)這封信說，美國貿(mào)易代表在泛太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)議中處理煙草問題的提議草案不會(huì)充分保護(hù)美國為控制煙草所進(jìn)行的努力。這封信說：“作為我們美國各州的法律部門的長官，我們對(duì)任何可能危害這些州實(shí)施自己有關(guān)煙草產(chǎn)品的法律法規(guī)的能力的發(fā)展感到擔(dān)憂。經(jīng)驗(yàn)顯示，州和地方法律法規(guī)可能受到煙草公司的質(zhì)疑，它們往往積極地根據(jù)雙邊及多邊貿(mào)易與投資協(xié)議提出指控……這些協(xié)議可能使這些煙草公司能夠根據(jù)以美國法律不能適用的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，在根據(jù)美國法律不能適用的論壇，對(duì)聯(lián)邦、州及地方法律法規(guī)提出質(zhì)疑。

???首席檢察官索瑞爾說，煙草每年奪走44萬美國人的生命，按目前這個(gè)水平，煙草本世紀(jì)在全球?qū)Z走超過10億人的生命。他們的信強(qiáng)調(diào)，“沒有政策上的理由證明將煙草列入旨在推動(dòng)和擴(kuò)大貿(mào)易與投資的協(xié)議中是正確的?！?/p>

US: Attorneys General Call On Trade Representative To Preserve Tobacco Regulation

atg.state.vt.us,January 27, 2014

Vermont Attorney William H. Sorrell is leading an effort to preserve federal, state and local control over tobacco products in a proposed Pacific-basin free trade agreement. In a letter released today through the National Association of Attorneys General and co-sponsored by Attorneys General Sorrell and Lawrence Wasden of Idaho, the chief law enforcement officers of 44 states and territories are calling upon the United States Trade Representative to exclude tobacco and tobacco products from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is currently under negotiation. This would preserve the ability of federal, state and local governments to regulate tobacco products to reduce their use and protect the public health.

According to the letter, the U.S. Trade Representative’s latest draft proposal addressing tobacco in the Trans-Pacific Partnership would not adequately protect tobacco control efforts in the United States. “As the chief legal officers of our states, we are concerned about any development that could jeopardize the states’ ability to enforce their laws and regulations relating to tobacco products,” reads the letter. “Experience has shown that state and local laws and regulations may be challenged by tobacco companies that aggressively assert claims under bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements. … Such agreements can enable these tobacco companies to challenge federal, state and local laws and regulations under standards and in forums that would not be available under United States law.”

The Attorneys General note that tobacco kills 440,000 Americans every year and, at present rates, will kill more than one billion people worldwide in this century. Their letter stresses that “there is no policy justification for including tobacco products in agreements that are intended to promote and expand trade and investment generally.”