[Ip-health] Socialist Group Press release: Access to medicines for all is Essential for Parliamentary Approval + Press confrerence Strasbourg Wednesday 11th, 14h30

[Alexandra HEUMBER]

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Below the press release of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament
on Access to medicines-TRIPs.

Also, a press conference organised by the European Parliament with the
MEPs involved in this issue from all the political groups will take place
tomorrow Wednesday 11th, at 14h30 in the European Parliament in
Strasbourg.

Alexandra

Alexandra Heumber
EU Advocacy Liaison Officer
M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res
Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
Rue Dupr=E9, 94. 1090 Brussels
++32 (0) 2 474 75 09 (Dir off)
++ 32 (0) 479 514 900 (Mob)
++ 32 (0) 2 474 75 75 (Fax)


News from the Socialist Group in the European Parliament
Enda McKay - Mobile: 00 32 (0)476 809 092
enda.mckay@europarl.europa.eu




10 July 2007

"ACCESS TO MEDICINES FOR ALL IS ESSENTIAL FOR PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL"

Socialist MEPs have given a strong warning that urgent measures must be
taken to improve access to medicines in developing countries. Parliament
debates the issue tomorrow.

The Socialist 'shadow' on the parliamentary report on intellectual
property rights (TRIPS), Kader Arif, said: "Unless this is done, we will
block ratification of any change in the agreement that protects drug
patents."

Parliament is due to give its assent to a protocol amending the TRIPS
agreement in the Autumn. A 2003 decision designed to improve access to
medicines has not been used by developing countries lacking drug
manufacturing capacity because of its complexity. Moreover, some
pharmaceutical companies and states like the USA, have also pressurised
countries, for example Thailand and Brazil, not to avail of all the
flexibilities allowed by the TRIPS agreement.

"The Commission's mandate should be restricted so as to rule out any
pharmaceutical-related TRIPS-plus provisions affecting public health and
access to medicines in developing countries. Such countries should be
supported in using the flexibilities built into the present agreement,"
Arif Kader and Max van den Berg, vice-president of parliament's
Development Committee, stressed.

MEPs from all political groups, therefore, have asked the Council and
Commission to find alternative ways to overcome the problem of access to
medicines at affordable prices.

 In particular, the MEPs stress that the EU must take additional measures
as a matter of urgency with a view to encouraging the transfer of
technology, research, capacity strengthening, regional supply systems and
help with registration in order to facilitate and increase the production
of pharmaceutical products by the developing countries themselves.
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