Swiss Diplomats Lobbying for PMI

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was adopted in 2003, and set out a clear obligation for parties: “In setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law”.¹Guidelines to Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC recommend that Parties limit interactions with the tobacco industry and ensure the transparency of those interactions that do occur.²³

Switzerland signed the WHO FCTC in 2004 but has yet to ratify the Treaty.

In July 2019, Swiss newspaper Republik first revealed that Swiss diplomats had approached the authorities of the Republic of Moldova on behalf of Philip Morris International (PMI), to request that the tobacco company be given an opportunity to discuss new tobacco legislation being proposed in Moldova.⁴⁵⁶

Background

The Republic of Moldova ratified the WHO FCTC in February 2009. The Republic’s tobacco excise policy between 2010 and 2013, when the average tobacco excise rate was increased ten-fold, has been hailed as an example of how tobacco tax can be an effective tobacco control measure.⁷ The tax policy increased government revenue but decreased tobacco smuggling, as well as tobacco affordability and consumption.⁷ After 2013 Moldova adopted more moderate excise increases.

In June 2019 a new administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Maia Sandu, promised to strengthen tobacco control legislation, including raising tobacco taxes substantially.

Swiss Diplomats Lobbying Revealed

An article in Swiss newspaper Republik revealed that in July 2019 diplomatic staff at the Swiss Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, (which looked after Swiss affairs in Moldova) had requested of Moldovan authorities that PMI be “given a voice in discussions in new tobacco regulations”.⁴⁵ At the time, the Moldovan government was debating new tobacco legislation, including significant tax increases on heated tobacco products like PMI’s IQOS.⁴⁸

PMI told the newspaper Le Temps, that it had approached the Swiss embassy in Kiev to:

“push for the possibility to contribute, like all other interested parties, to a public consultation about legislation proposals that would affect smokers and our business”.⁵⁶

According to the newspaper, PMI contributed to public hearings on 17 July 2019, but the tobacco legislation was adopted by the Moldovan Parliament at the end of July.

Political Justification

When asked by the newspaper why it had lobbied on behalf of PMI, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs justified its actions by stating that “one of the tasks of Swiss embassies is to represent the interests of the Swiss economy in their host country”.⁶ The Swiss government does not appear to have recognised that the tobacco industry does not operate like other businesses.

The UK government has also been criticized for lobbying on behalf of the tobacco industry, and using a similar justification. See UK Diplomats Lobbying on Behalf of BAT

PMI Pays for Embassy Opening Ceremony

The Swiss government was also criticised for allowing PMI to contribute CHF45,000 (around US$46,000) towards the opening ceremony for the new Swiss Embassy in Moscow in July 2019.⁹¹⁰

WHO Urges Swiss Government to Ratify the FCTC

In August 2019 the WHO released a statement urging governments to comply with Article 5.3.¹¹ This was in response to the Swiss government’s withdrawal from a partnership they had previously agreed with PMI, to sponsor the country’s pavilion at the Dubai World Expo in 2020.⁹

In the statement the WHO encouraged Switzerland to ratify the FCTC, and urged governments to “proactively aspire to reduce the number of people starting and continuing smoking, to promote health and preserve future generations”.¹¹

TobaccoTactics Resources

Influencing foreign tobacco legislation via diplomats is a known tobacco industry tactic.

For more background and examples see Diplomats Lobbying for Tobacco Companies

Also see:

• Third Party Techniques

TCRG Research

A “willingness to be orchestrated”: Why are UK diplomats working with tobacco companies?, R. Alebshehy, K. Silver, P. Chamberlain, Frontiers in Public Health, 17 March 2023, Sec. Public Health Policy, Volume 11 – 2023, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.977713

For a comprehensive list of all TCRG publications, including TCRG research that evaluates the impact of public health policy, go to the Bath TCRG’s list of publications.