Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
EU LEGAL RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to examine whether a specialist European institute for research into international and national civil law should be established. It is to fund a study investigating the idea, along with the possibility of creating a European network of legal researchers and university departments.…
LOUISIANA SMOKERS
BY MONICA DOBIE
LAWYERS representing Louisiana smokers have demanded a US state jury order several tobacco companies to pay more than US$1 billion to fund a quit-smoking programme, already approved in principle by a New Orleans court. Philip Morris USA, R.J.…
CALIFORNIA FEES
BY MONICA DOBIE
A NEW York appeals court has reinstated US$1.25 billion in legal fees for attorneys who helped California sue the American tobacco industry, in the case sparking a US$206-billion settlement between the industry and 46 states in 1998. R.J.…
IRELAND CUSTOMS STAMPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IRISH government is being formally threatened with legal action at the European Court of Justice over refusing to scrap its excise stamp system, where tobacco manufacturers pay duty by ‘buying’ stamps from tax authorities. The European Commission says this illegally prevents traders moving Irish-stamped tobacco around the European Union, where different excise rates may apply.…
PHILIP MORRIS - EU DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PHILIP Morris and the European Commission have buried the hatchet with an out-of-court settlement that ends their long-running contraband dispute. Announcing a 12-year agreement to cooperate fighting cigarette counterfeiting, the Commission claimed the deal could also see Philip Morris International making “substantial payments” maybe totalling US$1.25 billion.…
COMMISSION V UK
BY MONICA DOBIE
BRITAIN is being threatened with legal action at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the European Commission for being over-zealous in frontier checks regarding private imports of tobacco (and alcohol). Brussels claims UK customs should not confiscate tobacco and even the vehicles of travellers importing more excisable goods than they can consume themselves, for parties or gifts.…
WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is expecting its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to become operational by the New Year, with 167 countries having signed its text (nearly 90% of negotiating governments) and 23 countries ratifying. It will become international law once 40 ratifications have been deposited with the WHO.…
MASSACHUSETTS BAN
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE USA state of Massachusetts has recently invoked a smoking ban that prohibits smoking in work places, bars and restaurants. If found breaking the law, smokers can be fined US$100 per violation, whilst businesses can be fined up to US$300.…
NEW YORK SMOKERS
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE NUMBER of smokers in New York City fell by 11 per cent from 2002 to 2003, according to surveys commissioned by City Hall. After holding steady for a decade, the number of regular smokers dropped more than 100,000 in a year, to 19.3% of adults, from 21.6%.…
ROTHMANS SALES DOWN
BY MONICA DOBIE
CANADA’S Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc. reported lower fourth quarter 2003-4 profit and sales figures after year-earlier results were boosted by smokers stocking up before cigarette-tax hikes in Ontario and Quebec. The tobacco firm earned CDN$17.2 million or 51 cents a share, compared with CDN$20.9 million or 62 cents a share, a year ago.…