Duty-free tobacco debate rages on as WHO meetings end

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Exclusive: By Gavin Lipsith

Campaigners have urged the industry to step up local and regional lobbying efforts to retain duty-free tobacco sales, as the latest round of meetings on the issue drew to a close in Geneva today.

The future of duty-free tobacco continues to hang in the balance, after delegates at the third round of negotiations on the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) failed to reach a consensus after four days of talks.

But there were some encouraging signs for the duty-free industry. While national delegates were unable to agree on any one version of the FCTC text, several proposed amendments opposing duty-free tobacco sales have been dropped. The Canadian delegation, which previously recommended a levy to be placed on tobacco sales, has abandoned its initial proposal in favour of the EU's recommendation for a study into the impact of abolition before any ban is undertaken.

Canada was one of a number of countries to change its position, with Japan, Turkey and Panama also speaking out in favour of the EU stance. However, Egypt, Sudan, Brazil, China, New Zealand and Syria strongly supported the abolition of duty-free tobacco within a predetermined timescale, currently drafted as "within two years" of ratifying the FCTC, or 2005.

Speaking after the hearings, International Travel Retail Confederation director-general Keith Spinks said: "Obviously we are happy with the support for the EU stance, but there are still many delegations supporting abolition. We have to step up the duty-free campaign in some regions, so we can't relax at all at the moment."

The next round of negotiations is likely to be held in Spring 2002, after a revised draft of the FCTC text is released early next year.