The Australian government has announced that it will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the tobacco plain-packaging legislation, its first since the legislation was introduced in 2012.
The Post-Implementation Review (PIR) will be carried out by the Department of Health alongside Siggins Miller Consultants. The review runs until 27 March.
It will "undertake consultation with stakeholders that have been impacted by the tobacco plain-packaging measure", including tobacco-industry representatives, health groups, retailers, and members of the general public.
The move comes as the Irish government enters the committee stage on its own plain-packaging proposals.
The Health Committee convened on 17 February for committee-stage consideration of the tobacco plain-packaging legislation. The legislation passed through the second stage in Dáil Eireann last October.
Reports in The Irish Times suggest that JTI Ireland, which owns the Silk Cut and Benson & Hedges brands, is preparing to take legal action against the government if it does not scrap the plain-packaging proposals.
According to the report, JTI issued a letter to Youth Affairs Minister Reilly and Health Minister Leo Varadkar, saying that should the government proceed, the tobacco merchant will lodge a High Court claim for damages at the end of this week.
Its letter reads, 'Please undertake to us as soon as possible and, in any event, on or before 20 February 2015 that no steps will be taken to enact the Bill pending the outcome of the reference to the Courts of Justice of the EU by the High Court of England and Wales.
'If this undertaking is not forthcoming, JTI proposes to issue proceedings challenging the competence of Ireland to enact this legislation and, in the absence of an appropriate undertaking in relation to the legislation pending the outcome of these proceedings, will seek such relief as is appropriate from the High Court.'
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones.
