布隆伯格與蓋茨創建禁菸法律基金

Billionaires Mike Bloomberg and Bill Gates have launched an anti-smoking legal fund designed to help lower-income countries defend their tobacco-control laws against lawsuits by cigarette companies.

億萬富翁邁克•布隆伯格(Mike Bloomberg)和比爾•蓋茨(Bill Gates)創建了一隻禁菸法律基金，旨在幫助較低收入國家保護它們的菸草控制法不受菸草公司訴訟的影響。

The fund will raise the pressure on the tobacco industry, which has seen tough anti-smoking regulation spread from mature markets in places like western Europe to fast-growing developing countries seen as key sources of growth.

這隻基金將給菸草行業帶來更大壓力。發展中國家被視作菸草行業最重要的增長來源，但這些國家也越來越多地跟隨西歐等成熟市場，採取更嚴格的禁言規定。

In response, tobacco companies have used trade agreements as a way to challenge national laws on smoking. Philip Morris International, the world’s largest seller of cigarettes outside of China, is suing Uruguay over claims that its tobacco-control measures violated a trade agreement with Switzerland, where PMI is based.

作爲迴應，菸草企業一直利用貿易協議挑戰各國禁菸法律。總部位於瑞士、全球（中國以外）最大煙草銷售商菲利普莫里斯國際公司(Philip Morris International)正起訴烏拉圭，指控該國控煙措施違反了與瑞士簽訂的一項貿易協議。

The claim, which marked the first time a tobacco company sued a country in an international court, concerns a law passed in 2009 that requires health warnings to cover 80 per cent of tobacco packaging and banning different variants of the same brands, like Marlboro Red and Marlboro Gold.

這是菸草企業首次在國際法庭起訴一個國家，這一指控與2009年簽署的一項法律有關。該法律規定，健康警告需要佔到香菸包裝的80%，同時禁止同一品牌使用不同名稱，例如萬寶路紅(Marlboro Red)和萬寶路金(Marlboro Gold)。

Mr Bloomberg said the tobacco industry was using costly legal battles to “intimidate” lower-income countries.

布隆伯格表示，菸草行業一直在利用代價高昂的法律訴訟“恐嚇”較低收入國家。

“This is not about trade. No one is a stronger supporter of capitalism and trade than I am,” he said. “This is about sovereignty and whether a country has the right to set its own public-health policies.”

“這不關乎貿易。沒有人比我更強烈支持資本主義和貿易，”他表示，“這關乎主權以及一國是否有權制定自己的公共健康政策。”

He and Mr Gates have committed $4m to initiate the fund, which will be administered by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a US charity.

他和蓋茨已出資400萬美元作爲這隻基金的初始資金。該基金由美國慈善組織Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids管理。

It will offer countries assistance in drafting anti-smoking laws, create a network of trade-litigation lawyers, and provide financial support for states facing legal action.

該基金將向各國提供草擬禁菸法律方面的協助，創建一個貿易訴訟律師網絡，併爲那些面臨法律訴訟的國家提供支持。

Mr Bloomberg said the relatively small financial investment was “just a start” and pointed to the $600m that Bloomberg Philanthropies, his charitable giving vehicle, had spent on anti-smoking work since 2007.

布隆伯格表示，這筆規模相對較小的投資“只是一個開始”。他表示，自2007年以來，他的慈善捐贈機構布隆伯格慈善基金會(Bloomberg Philanthropies)已花費6億美元用於禁菸工作。

Trade laws have also been used to challenge Australia’s plain-packaging legislation, which was passed in 2012. A subsidiary of PMI is suing Australia over claims that the law violated a trade agreement between the country and Hong Kong.

此外，菸草公司還在利用貿易法律來挑戰澳大利亞2012年通過的簡易包裝立法。菲利普莫里斯國際公司子公司正起訴澳大利亞，指控該法律違反了澳大利亞與香港簽訂的一項貿易協議。

Tobacco companies have vowed to sue Ireland and the UK, which also passed plain packaging laws this month.

菸草公司還誓言將起訴愛爾蘭和英國。英國本月也通過了香菸簡易包裝法律。

Mr Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said that while wealthy countries like Australia could afford to defend their laws, “smaller, developing countries don’t have the same resources”.

比爾和梅琳達蓋茨基金會(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)聯合主席蓋茨表示，儘管澳大利亞等富國能夠承擔得起維護其法律的訴訟費用，但“較小發展中國家不具備這種財力”。