Asia: FCTC Continues Work on Tax, Farming Guidelines

Source from:  Tobacco Journal  11/22/2012

Delegates to the biennial plenary session of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) deferred decisions on a set of guidelines for tobacco taxation and farming controls until their next meeting, a summary of the meeting shows.
 
Disagreement between the European Union, China and Japan opposed to stronger language on tax and price measures, and most of the rest of the country delegations resulted in a statement of basic principal to supply funds for tobacco control, according to a bulletin from the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA). Work on the Article 6 guidelines will continue with financing from the government of Australia, the FCA said.

FCA is an advocacy group comprised of 350 organisations that works to implement the FCTC, which was developed under auspices of the World Health Organisation. The FCTC did not issue a final communiqué on 17 Nov after six days of meetings in Seoul, Korea.

A draft on controlling tobacco farming "needed further work," and was referred to a working group that will develop recommendations for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties in two years, according to the FCA. Growers launched demonstrations prior to the FCTC meeting to protest recommendations for articles 17 and 18.(ci) Enditem