European Commission supports better access to medicines in poorest countries
The Commission today (September 10) agreed to support the least developed countries' (LDCs) call for easier access to cheaper medicines by means of an indefinite exemption from World Trade Organization (WTO) intellectual property rules for pharmaceuticals. This exemption allows generic medicines to be imported, and produced locally, regardless of patents, for example when licenses are not available. It means producers of generics and international programmes can supply drugs like HIV treatment in affected countries without fear of patent infringement suits.
Commissioner Malmström said: "The poorest countries of the
world need effective access to medicines. Although patents
stimulate innovation in developed and emerging economies,
intellectual property rules should be a non-issue when the
world's poorest are in need of treatment. This exemption will
give the least developed countries the necessary legal certainty
to procure or to produce generic medicines. I am confident that
the Council will support this approach, and that the EU will
take the lead in the WTO in this field."
The WTO
granted a time-limited exemption before to these countries, but
the Commission believes that extending it indefinitely would
give legal certainty for long-term supply as well as enhance
local production of much-needed medicines.
The
Council must now decide on the Commission's proposal. This will
determine the position to be taken by the Commission on behalf
of the European Union in the WTO special Council on intellectual
property – the TRIPS Council. That body will take a
decision on the request from LDCs for an indefinite exemption at
its 15-16 October 2015 session.
This step complements
the Commission funded development programmes for supply of
essential medicines in developing countries and reinforces the
coherence of the EU approach on development policy.
Source:
European Commission
