letters from the EU and the UK regarding SA Medicines Act dispute

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

We have a few letters from the EU and the UK regarding 
disputes over South Africa Medicines act.  They include:

25 November 1997 letter from Erwan Fouerer, 
ambassador from the Delegation of the European
Commission in South Africa, to Dr. Olive 
Shisana, giving a detailed complaint about the 
South African Medicines Act, claiming it is
not consistent with Article 27.1, 28.1(a) and
30 of the TRIPS, and asking that Section
45.1 of the SA patent act be amended to 
give patent owners exclusive rights to import
and offering for sale.


23 March 1998, letter from Sir Leon Brittan,
Vice President of the European Commission, to
Mbeki, then Vice President of South Africa, 
claiming that the SA medicines is in violation
of TRIPS, and would "negatively affect the
interests of the European pharmaceutical 
industry."

14 October 1998, letter from Andrew Pearce, 
First Secretary of the British High
Commission in Pretoria, to Ron Archibald,
DTI, South Africa, regarding UK Secretary of
State for Health, Frank Dobson's meeting with
Dr. Zuma, and an extended discussion of the
medicines Act.  Contains the phrase,
"conscious that Dir Richard Sykes of
Glaxo Wellcome is due to visit South Africa
again shortly."

14 October 1998, Andrew Pearce letter to
Jim Carouso, US Embassy in Pretoria, reporting
that Frank Dobson from the UK government told
Dr. Zuma to avoid parallel imports, and that
Andy Pearce had lobbied Mr. Pharasi from the
SA Department of Helath on the  SA medicines Act.

-- 
James Love / Director, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org / love@cptech.org
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 202.387.8030 / fax 202.234.5176