[Ip-health] IGWG :review of RIO document elements by 'EU RIO study group'

[Michelle Childs]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
The EU set up a working group to review the  sections  of RIO*
documents  incorprated   into the  secretariat drafted global strategy .

We have obtained a hard copy of  of a document entitled ' EC Rio
Study group- Tuesday morning session ( Elements 2-4).'   It appears
to  set out the sections of the RIO comments they can live with and
those they wish to have deleted.

Notably deletions include( 2.4 c)  reference to a  a medical R&D
Treaty, it used to read ' support further discussion of a medical
research and development treaty' now reads 'support further
discussion of medical research and development.'

  It  also in 4.3 a)  deletes evaluation 'promote'  patent pools
to   'examine the feasibility of voluntary patent pools' and have
removed reference to evaluation of its practical application.

Deletion    of entire para 4.3 c) 'examine best practices in areas
such as competition, transparency and the proper remuneration for
patent  holders, encourage the use of intellectual property
flexibilities to access health  except   for the word  technologies;



*The Rio Document  is a proposal for a WHO Global Strategy on Public
Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property for the next 7 years.
The proposal is the result of two sub-regional consultations, in La
Paz, Bolivia (August 2007) and in Rio, Brazil (September 2007).

Initially 14 countries endorsed the Rio Document (Argentina, Brazil,
Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras,
Mexico, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela) but after the PAHO
regional consultation last October 21-22 in Ottawa at least the
following countries have expressed support for the proposed text:
Barbados, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Jamaica and St. Lucia and some
countries like Mexico and Peru that initially agreed to the proposal
have now expressed reservations on some of the provisions.

The Rio Document, although based on the language and structure of the
IGWG Secretariat Draft (released on July 2007 ), proposes significant
changes and it can be considered an alternative to the secretariat
proposal.


Michelle Childs
Head of European Affairs
Knowledge Ecology International
michelle.childs@cptech.org