[A2k] EU-US free trade agreement?

Fri May 26 09:29:13 2006

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Thanks to Alexandra Heumber, M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res for this. Please
contact Morgan Ody (details below ) if you want to join an emerging
coalition against this proposal.
michelle

Next 31 ^st of May there will be a plenary discussion at the European
Parliament on the report of the German socialist Erika Mann (Committee
of international Trade) that supports the establishement of a EU-US free
trade area by 2015. Voting will take place the following day, 1 ^st of
June.

According to the information that I received : "Although the report it
is not a legislative report, but just a presentation of an initiative,
if the EP end up voting in favor, this can have important implications
in terms of legitimization of the a process. This would give legitimacy
to prime ministers to move forward in concluding an agreement with the
US during the next US-UE Summit, on 21 ^st of June."

See below the point relating to IP:

/ VII. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) /

49. Welcomes the agreement at the EU-US Economic Ministerial to produce
by the 2006 EU-US Summit an IPR Enforcement Cooperation Strategy that
will tackle IPR abuse, the lack of effective enforcement in third
countries, China and Russia in particular, and that will improve customs
and border enforcement cooperation, encourage*/ /*public-private
partnerships and coordinate technical assistance to third countries;

50. Regrets the lack of a common understanding on geographical
indications; regrets that the co-existence of fundamentally different
patent systems (the US with its =A1=A7first-to-invent=A1=A8 system whilst t=
he
=A1=A7first-to-file=A1=A8 system is followed by the rest of the world) cont=
inues
to create considerable problems for EU companies; encourages the US
Congress to pursue the reform of the patent system by moving toward a
=A1=A7first-to-file=A1=A8 system;

51. Encourages the EU and US to work together using appropriate channels
to combat the abuse of intellectual property rights in third countries,
in particular China and Russia;

Below, the provision from the Opinion of ITRE Committee  (Industry,
Research, Energy)

(c)   counterfeiting and intellectual property piracy should be tackled
urgently, by aligning the relevant legislation in the two regions, and
by closer cooperation in establishing intellectual property rights in
third countries;

Food and Water watch, together the European farmers Coordination and
others organisations, will organise a press conference against the EU-US
FTA at the EP, next 31 ^st May at 9:30 . They are also preparing a press
statement. It will be good that as many organisations as possible attend
this press conference, as the outcomes of 1 ^st of June voting will be
key for the continuation of this process. If your organisation is
interested in joining this initiative, please contact:

  Morgan Ody : mody@fwwatch.org

Tel. : +33 143621876

--

Michelle Childs, Head of European Affairs.
 michelle.childs@cptech.org. www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology in London, 24 Highbury Crescent, London,
N5 1RX, UK. Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252. Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax:
+44(0)207 354 0607

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva, 1 Route des  Morillons, CP
2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel: +41 22 791 6727

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC PO Box 19367,
Washington, DC 20036, USA Tel.:  +1.202.387.8030, fax: +1.202.234.5176

--
Delivered-To: michelle.childs@cptech.org
Importance: Normal
Subject: FYI- FW: EU-US free trade agreement
From: Alexandra HEUMBER <Alexandra.HEUMBER@brussels.msf.org>
To: Ellen T HOEN <Ellen.T.HOEN@paris.msf.org>,
    michelle.childs@cptech.org
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 08:55:06 +0200
X-Plaintext:  Converted text/html to text/plain
X-Plaintext:  Mann report US-UE.doc of type application/msword deleted

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[ Converted text/html to text/plain ]
FYI-

Next 31 st of May there will be a plenary discussion at the EP on the repor=
t
of the German socialist Erika Mann (Committee of international Trade) that
supports the establishement of a EU-US free trade area by 2015. Voting will
take place the following day, 1 st of June.

According to the information that I received : "Although the report it is n=
ot
a legislative report, but just a presentation of an initiative, if the EP e=
nd
up voting in favor, this can have important implications in terms of
legitimization of the a process. This would give legitimacy to prime minist=
ers
to move forward in concluding an agreement with the US during the next US-U=
E
Summit, on 21 st of June."

See below the point relating to IP:

VII. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

49. Welcomes the agreement at the EU-US Economic Ministerial to produce by =
the
2006 EU-US Summit an IPR Enforcement Cooperation Strategy that will tackle =
IPR
abuse, the lack of effective enforcement in third countries, China and Russ=
ia
in particular, and that will improve customs and border enforcement
cooperation, encourage public-private partnerships and coordinate technical
assistance to third countries;

50. Regrets the lack of a common understanding on geographical indications;
regrets that the co-existence of fundamentally different patent systems (th=
e
US with its =A1=A7first-to-invent=A1=A8 system whilst the =A1=A7first-to-fi=
le=A1=A8 system is
followed by the rest of the world) continues to create considerable problem=
s
for EU companies; encourages the US Congress to pursue the reform of the
patent system by moving toward a =A1=A7first-to-file=A1=A8 system;

51. Encourages the EU and US to work together using appropriate channels to
combat the abuse of intellectual property rights in third countries, in
particular China and Russia;

Below, the provision from the Opinion of ITRE Committee  (Industry, Researc=
h,
Energy)

(c)   counterfeiting and intellectual property piracy should be tackled
urgently, by aligning the relevant legislation in the two regions, and by
closer cooperation in establishing intellectual property rights in third
countries;

Food and Water watch, together the European farmers Coordination and others
organisations, will organise a press conference against the EU-US FTA at th=
e
EP, next 31 st May at 9:30 . They are also preparing a press statement. It
will be good that as many organisations as possible attend this press
conference, as the outcomes of 1 st of June voting will be key for the
continuation of this process. If your organisation is interested in joining
this initiative, please contact:

  Morgan Ody : mody@fwwatch.org

Tel. : +33 143621876
Alexandra Heumber
M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res
Access to Medicines Campaign
EU Advocacy Liaison Officer
C/O MSF-B
Rue Dupr? 94
1090 Brussels
++32 (0) 2 474 75 09 (Dir off)
++ 32 (0) 479 514 900 (Mob)
++ 32 (0) 2 474 75 75 (Fax)

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[ Mann report US-UE.doc of type application/msword deleted ]
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