[Ip-health] Close attention to Final Round of Peru-EU FTA Required

[Ira Glazer]

[The translation below is mine.  The original appeared in bilaterals.
org on Sept. 21.
http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=3D15945]

At the beginning of the negotiations (with the EU), both then Minister
Mercedes Ar=E1oz as well as the Peruvian negotiating team, announced
that Peru would not make undertake any commitments in excess of those
already undertaken in its agreement with the United States.  The NGO,
The Peruvian Network for a Just Globalization (RedGe), emphasized
again yesterday the importance of closely monitoring the last stages
of the negotiations for a trade agreement with the EU, whose final
round starts today [Sept 21].  RedGe stated clearly that both public
opinion, as well as members of Congress, have to make sure that no
conditions that restrict access to medicines for thousands of
Peruvians are included in the text of the agreement.

'This week sensitive subjects such as intellectual property and access
to medicines will be dealt with, which imply important commitments
that our country has already undertaken and implemented in its FTA
with the United States,' stated Alejandra Alayza, the executive
coordinator of RedGe.  In the same vein, she alluded to the fact that
the EU is asking for the protection of test data for biotechnology
products (that currently enjoy no such protection in Peru), which
would mean limiting access to   products such as vaccines, hormone
treatments, blood, and plant derivatives among others.  In addition,
the EU is insisting on creating the possibility of extending the
protection of test data, for periods that could last more than 5
years.

'These could last more than 10 years, such as they (the EU) proposed
at the beginning of the negotiations, which would mean an average
increase in the price of medicines of more than 15 %.
This would imply an increase in the expenditure on medicines, which by
the year 2030 would be around $250 million a year,' according to a
report by RedGe.

Finally, the Europeans are looking to include new border measures that
would expand the scope iof intellectual property infringement to
include patented medicines.  Accepting this demand, would mean that
customs officials would be able to impound legally produced generic
medicines, in effect becoming the protector of private commercial
interests.


Per=FA: Piden vigilar la =FAltima ronda de TLC con UE

21-9-2009

Medicinas podr=EDan costar m=E1s por mala negociaci=F3n.

A inicio de este proceso de negociaciones, tanto la entonces ministra
Mercedes Ar=E1oz como los miembros del Equipo Negociador peruano
anunciaron que el Per=FA no ir=EDa m=E1s all=E1 de los compromisos que ya
hab=EDamos asumido en el acuerdo con los Estados Unidos. La organizaci=F3n
Red Peruana por una Globalizaci=F3n con Equidad (RedGe) reiter=F3 ayer la
importancia de vigilar el proceso de cierre de las negociaciones para
un acuerdo comercial con la Uni=F3n Europea (UE), cuya ronda definitiva
empieza hoy, y se=F1al=F3 que la opini=F3n p=FAblica y los miembros del
Congreso deben estar alertas para que no se acepten condiciones que
puedan restringir el acceso a los medicamentos para miles de peruanos.

=93Esta semana estar=E1 en juego la definici=F3n de temas sensibles en
materia de propiedad intelectual y acceso a los medicamentos, que
suponen compromisos mayores a los que nuestro pa=EDs ya asumi=F3 e
implement=F3 con el TLC con los EE.UU.=94, record=F3 Alejandra Alayza,
coordinadora ejecutiva de la organizaci=F3n. En ese sentido, record=F3 que
la UE busca que la protecci=F3n de datos de prueba incluya productos
biotecnol=F3gicos (que actualmente no tienen esta protecci=F3n en nuestro
pa=EDs), lo que limitar=EDa el acceso al mercado de productos como las
vacunas, los tratamientos hormonales, la sangre, los derivados de
plantas, entre otros. Adem=E1s, la UE insiste en crear posibilidades
para ampliar la protecci=F3n de los datos de prueba, y que pueda ser m=E1s
de 5 a=F1os.

=93Lo que podr=EDa convertirse en 10 a=F1os, tal y como lo propon=EDan al
principio, y lo cual implicar=EDa un incremento en los precios promedio
de medicamentos de un 15%. Esto tambi=E9n origina un incremento en el
gasto en medicamentos, que para el 2030 significar=EDa un valor cercano
a los 250 millones de d=F3lares anuales=94, alert=F3 la organizaci=F3n en u=
n
reporte.

Finalmente, se indic=F3 que las pretensiones europeas buscan incluir
nuevas medidas en frontera, y para ello proponen ampliar las causales
de demanda a todos los derechos de protecci=F3n de propiedad
intelectual, que incluye la protecci=F3n de medicamentos patentados. De
aceptarse esta pretensi=F3n, se originar=EDa la posibilidad de que aduanas
incaute medicamentos gen=E9ricos leg=EDtimamente producidos, asumiendo un
rol proteccionista de intereses privados.