[Ip-health] European Parliament Resolution adopted today on Access to medicines-TRIPs and information related

[Alexandra HEUMBER]

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Here below the press release of the European Parliament about the adoption=
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of the Resolution on Access to medicines/TRIPs by all the political groups=
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today. This text represents then the position of the European parliament.=
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/026-9059-190-07-28=
-903-20070710IPR09047-09-07-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm=0D
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Also, the press release done by the Liberal Goup yesterday, and the one=0D
done by the Socialist group.=0D
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/groups/default_en.htm=0D
http://www.socialistgroup.eu/gpes/newsdetail.do?lg=3Den&id=3D45728&href=3Dh=
ome=0D
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The European Commission and Council's replies given yesterday in=0D
Strasbourg to the MEPs are far to be satisfactory. The replies do not take=
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into account the request of the MEPs.  The MEPs reacted very strongly and=
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they agreed to not ratify the WTO amendment to TRIPs making permanent the=
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August 2003 mechanism until the Commission and Council give concrete=0D
commitments and take into account the concerns of the MEPs on Access to=0D
medicines and TRIPs.=0D
For more information see the report back of the Questions and Answers=0D
session yesterday in plenary session made by IP-Watch:=0D
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D688&print=3D1&res=3D1024&print=
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Regards,=0D
Alexandra=0D
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NEWS=0D
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/026-9059-190-07-28=
-903-20070710IPR09047-09-07-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm=0D
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More measures needed on access to medicines says EP resolution=0D
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External/international trade - 12-07-2007 - 13:23=0D
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According to the resolution adopted today by the House, more needs to be=0D
done to allow developing countries and LDCs to access to medicines. The EP=
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asks the Council to support the developing countries which use the=0D
flexibilities enshrined in the TRIPS Agreement. The Commission and the=0D
Member States should provide financial support for local production of=0D
pharmaceuticals in developing countries.=0D
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On Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), MEPS want to restrict the=0D
mandate of the Commission "in order not to negotiate=0D
pharmaceutical-related TRIPS-plus" affecting public health and access to=0D
medicines.=0D
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The resolution asks the Commission and the Member States to provide=0D
financial support for pharmaceutical-related transfer of technology and=0D
capacity building and local production of pharmaceuticals in developing=0D
countries, especially in LDCs. The House also asks the Commission to grant=
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funding for R&D on poverty-related, tropical and neglected diseases.=0D
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The EP asks the Council to support the developing countries which use the=
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so-called flexibilities built into the TRIPS Agreement and recognized by=0D
the Doha Declaration.=0D
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The resolution calls on the Council to adopt a Joint Policy Statement with=
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the European Parliament to the effect that EU Member States remain free to=
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use all exception provisions of the TRIPS Agreement under their domestic=0D
patent laws to authorise production and export =E2=80=98to address public h=
ealth=0D
needs in importing Members=E2=80=99 and asks the Council to mandate the Com=
mission=0D
to refrain from taking action to interfere with these proceedings.=0D
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Restricted Commission's mandate on EPAs=0D
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The resolution calls on the Council to restrict the mandate to the=0D
Commission in order not to negotiate pharmaceutical-related TRIPS-plus=0D
provisions affecting public health and access to medicines, such as data=0D
exclusivity, patent extensions and limitation of grounds of compulsory=0D
licenses, in the framework of the negotiation of the Economic Partnership=
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Agreements with the ACP countries and other future bilateral and regional=
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agreements with developing countries.=0D
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REF.: 20070710IPR09047=0D
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Further information:=0D
Text, as adopted by the EP on 12 July, will shortly be available here=0D
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Liberal Group Press Release=0D
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/groups/default_en.htm=0D
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TRIPS: medicines take priority over profits=0D
11/07/2007=0D
MEPs today will seek to place access of medicines to developing countries=
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at the top of the trade and development agenda. They are concerned that=0D
the 1994 TRIPS agreement on intellectual property rights is restricting=0D
access by preventing the development of affordable generic medicines.=0D
Parliament's plenary session, with cross-party support, which asks the=0D
Commission and Council to enhance the flexibility of the TRIPS agreement=0D
and not to negotiate pharmaceutical provisions in bilateral and regional=0D
economic partnership agreements (EPAs) in the area of intellectual=0D
property. According to the MEPs a Doha Declaration on TRIPS and public=0D
health allows WTO members to give priority to protecting public health=0D
over protecting patents=0D
A resolution, to be adopted tomorrow, stresses the primacy of ensuring=0D
affordable access to pharmaceutical products in developing countries as a=
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core development goal. EU policy should aim at assisting the least=0D
developing countries develop their own capacity for manufacturing vital=0D
drugs and vaccines through financial aid and technology transfer.=0D
The mechanism created by the WTO Decision and TRIPS protocol, which must=0D
be ratified by Parliament, represents only one part of the solution.=0D
Parliament is seeking to use its leverage over the procedure to get the EU=
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to commit to a more comprehensive support package in the area of public=0D
health.=0D
"The European Parliament should use the ratification of the Protocol on=0D
TRIPS to obtain guarantees that the European Union's policy on access to=0D
medicines is truly coherent and effective."=0D
"The EU must give a more incisive contribution in order to solve the=0D
health emergency in poor countries. In particular, the EU should help=0D
these countries to manage their needs and it should avoid negotiating=0D
TRIPS-plus provisions on access to medicines within the framework of=0D
bilateral or regional agreements."=0D
For more information=0D
Corlett Neil - Tel: +32 2 284 20 77 Mob: +32 478 78 22 84=0D
Category: Press Release, INTA :: International Trade=0D
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Socialist Group press release=0D
http://www.socialistgroup.eu/gpes/newsdetail.do?lg=3Den&id=3D45728&href=3Dh=
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10/07/2007 - "Access to medicines for all is essential for Parliamentary=0D
approval".=0D
Socialist MEPs have given a strong warning that urgent measures must be=0D
taken to improve access to medicines in developing countries. Parliament=0D
debates the issue tomorrow.=0D
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The Socialist 'shadow' on the parliamentary report on intellectual=0D
property rights (TRIPS), Kader Arif, said: "Unless this is done, we will=0D
block ratification of any change in the agreement that protects drug=0D
patents."=0D
Parliament is due to give its assent to a protocol amending the TRIPS=0D
agreement in the Autumn. A 2003 decision designed to improve access to=0D
medicines has not been used by developing countries lacking drug=0D
manufacturing capacity because of its complexity. Moreover, some=0D
pharmaceutical companies and states like the USA, have also pressurised=0D
countries, for example Thailand and Brazil, not to avail of all the=0D
flexibilities allowed by the TRIPS agreement.=0D
"The Commission's mandate should be restricted so as to rule out any=0D
pharmaceutical-related TRIPS-plus provisions affecting public health and=0D
access to medicines in developing countries. Such countries should be=0D
supported in using the flexibilities built into the present agreement,"=0D
Arif Kader and Max van den Berg, vice-president of parliament's=0D
Development Committee, stressed.=0D
MEPs from all political groups, therefore, have asked the Council and=0D
Commission to find alternative ways to overcome the problem of access to=0D
medicines at affordable prices.=0D
In particular, the MEPs stress that the EU must take additional measures=0D
as a matter of urgency with a view to encouraging the transfer of=0D
technology, research, capacity strengthening, regional supply systems and=
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help with registration in order to facilitate and increase the production=
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of pharmaceutical products by the developing countries themselves.=0D
Enda McKay - Mobile: 00 32 (0)476 809 092=0D
enda.mckay@europarl.europa.eu=0D
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Alexandra Heumber=0D
EU Advocacy Liaison Officer=0D
M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res=0D
Access to Essential Medicines Campaign=0D
Rue Dupr=C3=A9, 94. 1090 Brussels=0D
++32 (0) 2 474 75 09 (Dir off)=0D
++ 32 (0) 479 514 900 (Mob)=0D
++ 32 (0) 2 474 75 75 (Fax)=0D
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