Trade and investment challenges to Australias plain packaging - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Trade and investment challenges to Australia’s plain packaging legislation

Jonathan Liberman

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Cons&tu&onal!challenge!

• orders&published&on&15&August&2012&
• Government&won!&
• reasons&for&decision&to&follow&

WTO Challenges

• on&14&August&2012,&&Ukraine&requested&

establishment&of&a&panel&

• Ukraine,&Honduras&and&the&Dominican&Republic&had&all&

requested&consultaEons&

• Brazil,&Canada,&El&Salvador,&the&European&Union,&

Guatemala,&Indonesia,&Nicaragua,&New&Zealand,& Norway,&the&Philippines,&Ukraine,&Uruguay,&and& Zimbabwe&joined&the&consultaEons&

WTO Challenges

• claims&under&Agreement&on&TradeRrelated&

Aspects&of&Intellectual&Property&Rights&(TRIPS),& Agreement&on&Technical&Barriers&to&Trade& (TBT)&and&General&Agreement&on&Tariffs&and& Trade&(GATT)&

• trademark&restricEons&
• technical&regulaEon&creaEng&unnecessary&obstacle&to&

internaEonal&trade&by&being&more&tradeRrestricEve&than& necessary&

• less&favourable&treatment&to&products&imported&from&

certain&countries&than&accorded&to&like&products&of& Australian&origin&and&like&products&originaEng&in&other& countries& &

WTO Challenges

How!long!to!se1le!a!dispute?!back!to!top! These!approximate!periods!for!each!stage!of!a!dispute!se1lement!procedure!are!target!figures!—!the!agreement!is!flexible.!In! addi&on,!the!countries!can!se1le!their!dispute!themselves!at!any!stage.!Totals!are!also!approximate. 60!days ConsultaEons,&mediaEon,&etc 45!days Panel&set&up&and&panellists&appointed 6!months Final&panel&report&to&parEes 3!weeks Final&panel&report&to&WTO&members 60!days Dispute&SeYlement&Body&adopts&report&(if&no&appeal) Total!=!1!year (without&appeal) 60L90!days Appeals&report 30!days Dispute&SeYlement&Body&adopts&appeals&report Total!=!1y!3m (with&appeal)

PM Asia’s BIT Challenge

• PM&Asia&v&Australia&under&1993&bilateral&

investment&treaty&between&Hong&Kong&and& Australia&

• a&number&of&claims&under&the&treaty,&including&expropriaEon&
• f&intellectual&property&and&that&not&afforded&fair&and&

equitable&treatment&

• Emeframes&
• not&fixed&yet&
• could&take&up&to&3&years&

&

PM Asia’s BIT Challenge

• Australia&argues:&&
• abuse&of&rights:&PM&Asia&acquired&a&100%&

share&holding&in&PM&Australia&10&months& aber&the&announcement&of&plain&packaging&

• goes&to&jurisdicEon&and&merits&

PM Asia’s BIT Challenge

Info&on&Australian&AYorneyRGeneral’s&website&at:&& hYp://www.ag.gov.au/InternaEonallaw/Pages/InvestorRStateRArbitraEonRRR TobaccoRPlainRPackaging.aspx&

MELBOURNE!WELCOMES!! 23rd!World!Cancer!Congress!

3L6!December!2014!

HOSTED&BY&