[Ip-health] WTO wants Italy to mediate between US and EU

[Mike Palmedo]

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200302272008-0229-RT1-ECO-0-NF11,NF33&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

WTO: ITALY MEDIATOR BETWEEN EU AND USA, SAYS URSO

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia
March 6, 2003

(AGI) - Geneva, Switzerland, Feb.27 - The WTO chose Italy, as it will be
the next rotating president of the EU, to act as mediator between
Brussels and Washington to solve the most thorny commercial issues,
life-saving medicines and agriculture above all, before the next WTO
meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in September.

   That's what vice minister of productive activities, Adolfo Urso,
announced today in Geneva, where he met WTO general director Supachai
Panitchapadki of Thayland, in what was the first official meeting with
the Italian government since Panitchapadki took office last summer. "We
are very satisfied - said Urso - with the WTO's decision". Geneva asked
Rome "to build that agreement bridge which allowed Doha to give new
momentum to development". Panitchpadki asked Italy, said Urso, to make
the European pharmaceutical industry "make pressures" on the US one, in
order to reach an agreement on medicines as soon as possible. "We can't
afford to lose time. We need to find an agreement quickly".

   Italy's role on the medicine issue, but on the entire WTO
negotiations front, from agriculture to services, was stressed by
Panitchkapadki himself: "The talks with Urso were very important, and I
hope to carry on this debate during Italy's presidency". He then said
that the talks mainly focused on the meeting in Cancun, for which the
WTO assured Italy "full cooperation". As to the medicines issue, which
is the crucial crossroads, Urso explained that, for the time being,
discussions are on the revision of the agreement draft drawn up by Perez
Motta, while the proposal of the EU was turned down.

<snip>





--
Mike Palmedo
Consumer Project on Technology
T-202-387-8030
F-202-234-5176
mpalmedo@cptech.org