Tobacco
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an international legal instrument (treaty) to address the health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption worldwide.
The FCTC entered into force on 27 February 2005 making the provisions of the treaty legally binding for the first 40 contracting parties to the convention. Australia ratified the FCTC on 27 October 2004.
The FCTC is the first global public health treaty and aims to advance international cooperation to protect present and future generations from the preventable devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. The treaty commits nations to implement policies on tobacco price and tax increases, banning or restricting tobacco advertising and sponsorship, labelling with more prominent health warnings, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke, smoking cessation treatments and illicit trade.
The Conference of the parties (COP) is the governing body of the convention that decides on technical, procedural and financial matters relating to the implementation of the treaty. To date, the COP has met annually, with the first meeting being held in February 2006.
The COP has adopted guidelines for implementation of the following articles of the convention:
Article 5.3: Protecting public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law
Article 8: Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke
Article 11: Packaging and labelling of tobacco products
Article 13: Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Up to date information on the FCTC including the FCTC text, records of FCTC negotiations, information of upcoming FCTC meetings and events, lists of signatories and contracting parties to the convention, COP meeting papers, and outcomes of COP meetings, can be found at the WHO FCTC website at http://www.who.int/fctc/en/index.html. The Framework Convention Alliance website also contains up to date information on the FCTC and can be found at http://www.fctc.org/. Top of Page
Public notification of meetings between the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the tobacco industry
Guiding Principle Number 2 of the guidelines for Article 5.3 states "Parties, when dealing with the tobacco industry or those working to further its interests, should be accountable and transparent".In recognition of this guiding principle (adopted by the COP at its meeting held in November 2008) the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing wishes to advise that the following meetings have been conducted with the tobacco industry:
3 August 2009 – Meeting with British American Tobacco Australia (BATA)
Issues discussed- Preventative health taskforce update
- Retail display bans
- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – development of guidelines on articles 9 and 10
- Pricing/excise
15 June 2009 - Meeting with Philip Morris Limited (PML)
Issues discussed- Cigarette ingredients disclosure and ingredient disclosure feasibility study
- Draft Protocol on Illicit Trade
- Tobacco excise taxation
- Plain packaging
19 May 2009 - Meeting with British American Tobacco Australia (BATA), Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Attorney General's Department and the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA)
Issues discussed- Health and tax policy
- Illicit Tobacco Trade
- Track and trace system for illicit tobacco
- Free trade zones
- Duty free
22 January 2009 - Meeting held with British American Tobacco Australasia (BATA)
Issues discussed:- Key points of the BATA submission in response to the Australian Government's Preventative Health Taskforce Technical Report 2 "Tobacco Control in Australia: Making Smoking History"
- How the Article 5.3 Guidelines will apply to the tobacco industry and
- Timeframe relating to the availability of the graphic health warnings evaluation, which was funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.