Smoking: Uruguay wins case against Philip Morris – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The well-known for very strict smoking laws South American state Uruguay has won a six-year trial against the tobacco giant Philip Morris. The Based at the World Bank International Court of Arbitration ICSID in Washington have the action points of the group “completely rejected”, said President Tabaré Vázquez, an oncologist trained with in a speech in Montevideo.

In Uruguay smoking in restaurants and other buildings is prohibited, and there is a ban on advertising, the packages are provided with large, dramatic warnings, and cigarettes can not be sold as “Lights”. In addition, tobacco taxes were increased again. Philip Morris, which manufactures, among other Marlboro and Chesterfield cigarettes, did not accept the measures.

Not intimidated

The Group therefore had Uruguay 2010 damages sued $ 25 million. The 3.3-million-inhabitant country was the first Latin American country and the fifth in the world that banned smoking in public places. Philip Morris argued that the country had violated a closed with Switzerland investment agreements.

Now, the group stated that he would accept the decision. No wonder – the arbitral award is binding anyway. Vice CEO Marc Firestone stressed Uruguay’s requirements have already been met in the past seven years. The determination of the board “is not the status quo” change so.

Vázquez called on the international community to follow the example and not to be intimidated by groups fighting the damage caused by smoking. He had brought in his first term from 2005 to 2010, the smoking laws on the way.

compliance unwelcome laws

“We reaffirm our right to the struggle against consumption of tobacco, “said Vázquez. It is not permissible “to make commercial aspects of the defense of the fundamental rights to life and health”.

As “El Pais” reported that the Group of the Uruguayan government must now seven million US dollars for legal fees refund in the process. The Group, headquartered in the United States accounts for about ten percent of its billion business in the Latin American market – but he recently struggling world because of the tightening of smoking laws with losses

The case is also in view of the debates about. the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada (Ceta) as well as between EU and USA (TTIP) interesting as the role of private arbitration is this a major point of contention. Critics fear precedents when companies could cut short in this way unpleasant laws in countries. In Uruguay is now failed

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