[Ip-health] European Parliament' call on Healthcare/Access to medicines/R&D/Trade negotiations

[Alexandra HEUMBER]

This is a multipart message in MIME format.
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
Please find below the resolution voted by the European Parliament=0D
yesterday on the Millennium Development Goals-the midway point.=0D
=0D
See below a selection of provisions related to access to healthcare and=0D
treatment.=0D
- Increase fundings for health R&D=0D
- Full use of the Doha Declaration / flexibilities of TRIPs=0D
- No TRIPs + provisions in EU bilateral and regional agreements=0D
=0D
Full text=0D
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=3D-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA=
-2007-0274+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
European Parliament resolution of 20 June 2007 on the Millennium=0D
Development Goals =E2=80=93 the midway point (2007/2103(INI))=0D
=0D
=0D
Healh care, Treatment, Health R&D=0D
38.  Believes that health care infrastructure deserves stable and long=0D
term financial support from national budgets and international assistance=
=0D
in order to deliver the health-related MDGs, such as reducing infant=0D
mortality by increasing immunisation coverage, reducing maternal mortality=
=0D
by increasing access to skilled professionals, supporting research and=0D
development of and access to new diagnostics and therapies, providing safe=
=0D
drinking water and sanitation, and scaling up significantly towards the=0D
goal of universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support of=0D
HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other diseases by 2010, including for=0D
marginalised populations and those most vulnerable to infectious diseases;=
=0D
39.  Calls on the international donor community to assist developing=0D
countries in developing and implementing comprehensive health action=0D
programmes, tackling issues such as the need to secure sustainable=0D
financing for health infrastructure and salaries, increase investment in=0D
training and avoid an excessive "brain drain" through the migration of=0D
high-skilled health workers;=0D
40.  Welcomes the Johannesburg Declaration of the 3rd Ordinary Session of=
=0D
the AU Conference of Ministers of Health of 9-13 April 2007 on the=0D
Strengthening of Health Systems for Equity and Development as an important=
=0D
initiative towards achieving the health MDGs; calls on the EU to support=0D
the AU member states in implementing the programmes based on that=0D
Declaration;=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
Access to medicines-R&D-  Flexibilities of TRIPs/Doha=0D
44.  Calls on the Commission to step up its commitment to combating=0D
HIV/AIDS in developing countries and to ensure that those most affected=0D
have ever better access, at affordable prices, to prevention resources and=
=0D
policies, antiretroviral treatments and healthcare services=0D
(infrastructure, personnel and medicines) capable of meeting the growing=0D
demand;=0D
45.  Notes that all the MDGs are critically dependent on stemming the=0D
HIV/AIDS epidemic and asks the Commission to accord the highest priority=0D
to addressing this global pandemic by supporting an intensified and=0D
comprehensive response; points out that the response should ensure=0D
universal access to existing prevention and treatment as well as adequate=
=0D
investment in the development of and universal access to a wide range of=0D
prevention technologies, including microbicides and vaccines; and calls on=
=0D
the EU to promote greater industry participation, a more coordinated=0D
scientific effort, and policies and programmes that accelerate the testing=
=0D
of novel vaccines and microbicides;=0D
46.  Calls on the EU to increase funding to ensure that progress in basic=
=0D
science and biomedicine results in new and affordable drugs, vaccines, and=
=0D
diagnostics for neglected diseases, to support the development phases of=0D
R&D and to secure the use of new products by neglected populations whilst=
=0D
respecting the TRIPS provisions;=0D
47.  Calls on the EU to support the full implementation of the Doha=0D
Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health of the WTO=0D
Ministerial Conference of 9-14 November 2001, and to ensure that medicines=
=0D
are affordable for those for those developing countries that do take=0D
measures in compliance with the Doha Declaration, and further calls on the=
=0D
EU to provide technical assistance to developing countries for the=0D
implementation of pro-public-health measures in patent law;=0D
48.  Stresses the need for a comprehensive review of those systems in=0D
place that are failing to solve the access to medicines problem, to=0D
include submitting recommendations to the WTO for amendment to its rules=0D
governing the export of medicines under compulsory licence, known as the=0D
August 30th decision;=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
Trade- Bilateral/Regional agreements between EU and Developing countries=0D
related to access to medicines=0D
93.  Believes that pharmaceutical-related TRIPS affecting public health=0D
and access to medicines which go beyond the TRIPS Agreement should be=0D
excluded from EPAs and other future bilateral or regional agreements with=
=0D
low-income countries;=0D
94.  Believes that all ACP countries must have a clear right to choose=0D
whether to extend the negotiations beyond trade in goods, and calls on the=
=0D
Commission to ensure that intellectual property rights and the Singapore=0D
issues (competition policy, public procurement and investment) are taken=0D
off the negotiating table if ACP countries do not wish to negotiate them;=
=0D
96.  Takes note of recent studies by UNCTAD and others which show that=0D
extensive trade liberalisation in LDCs has had little effect on sustained=
=0D
and substantial poverty reduction objectives and has contributed to a=0D
decline in the terms of trade of developing countries, in particular of=0D
African countries; and calls on the EU to start a sustained, sincere=0D
campaign to genuinely increase the export capacity of LDCs by promoting=0D
technical assistance to further physio-sanitary standards, property law,=0D
business skills and value-addition programmes;=0D
97.  Calls on the Commission to adjust its cooperation and trade policies=
=0D
as far as possible in order to help the governments of developing=0D
countries to maintain and develop public services, particularly those=0D
guaranteeing access for the population as whole to drinking water, health=
=0D
services, education and transport;=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
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
=0D