Cablegate: Demarche On Framework Convention On Tobacco Control

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000398

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/T AND EB/TPP/ABT/ATP
DEPT PASS HHS (STEIGER)
DEPT PASS USTR (JENNIFER PRESCOTT)
GENEVA FOR HOMAN AND USTR

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO ETRD CA WHO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL
(FCTC): CANADIAN VIEWS

REF: STATE 035558

1. As requested in reftel, Embassy passed U.S. views on
upcoming negotiation of the FCTC in Geneva to officials in
Health Canada, the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) and Agriculture Canada.

2. EST Counselor followed up with Ed Aiston, Director
General, International Affairs Directorate at Health Canada
for Canadian views on the negotiations. Aiston indicated
that the GOC's views were very similar to those of the U.S.,
particularly with regard to the relationship between trade
and domestic health regimes. He said that Canada had
proposed the deletion of references in previous texts to
"trade and health," and was pleased to see that the
Chairman's text reflected their proposal. Aiston noted that
Canada could support reference to "non-discrimination" in
trade as a "fall-back" position, but wanted to ensure that
trade and domestic health regimes were treated separately in
the FCTC. Given the lack of specific subsidies to Canadian
tobacco growers, proposals for the treatment of production
subsidies is of less concern to the GOC.

3. Aiston, who will lead the Canadian delegation to the
negotiating session in Geneva later this month, asked that
the Embassy alert Washington agencies to some of the
concerns that the GOC has in the Chairman's text. The most
important concern is with the "conditionality"on tax policy.
The GOC would like a stronger statement on sovereign rights
of governments to establish their own tax policies.

4. Also of concern in the Chairman's text is the issue of
duty-free sales. The GOC would like to see the duty-free
issue treated in a separate article that clearly states that
duty-free sales refer to sales to individuals, and not bulk
sales. Finally, the Canadian delegation will propose a
separate article for "sharing of information on the rates of
taxation.

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