Brussels, 10/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commissioner Pascal Lamy drew-up some ideas on actions to be undertaken in the trade area so as to facilitate access to medicines by third world populations. The note that he presented to the Commission, this Wednesday, identifies the main aspects, which merit a more in-depth analysis so as to be able to record a "coherent global overview" in the communication on "the main transmissible diseases and poverty reduction in developing countries," which Commissioner Poul Nielson is responsible for drafting.
It is in view of this College document, that different Commission services looked into the main trade aspects linked to the problem of LDC population's access to medicines. In this long drawn out exercise, which will be the object of a interim report in September, Mr. Lamy has so far chosen 8 main guidelines: i) strengthening EU support to research and development, ii) financing the needs of the sanitary systems in developing countries, iii) possible reduction, or elimination, of customs duties on medicines, iv) price differences between medicines and parallel negotiations, v) intellectual property rights and compulsory licences, vi) the role of international organisations and co-operation within the G8, vii) the need for an intergovernmental and interinstitutional dialogue to raise the level of government undertakings, viii) large dialogue and partnerships between non governmental organisations and the pharmaceutical industry.
Noting that the debate surrounding the relationship between trade and access to medicines is increasingly serious and public, Mr. Lamy observed that it also tends to widen towards the, more general, problem of the LDC population's access to health, due to wide ranging factors that are implied; a) insufficient health care and the local production of medicines, payments and education; b) the lack of technology transfers; c) the impact of the granting of intellectual property rights to medicines, including those of with the greatest need, etc. On the international scene, the European Union has already brought certain contributions, notably in raising the issue of compulsory licences during the Ministerial conference in Seattle (initiative that the pharmaceutical industry has not supported, Ed.) and in the framework of preparations for the G8 meeting in Okinawa, he reminded. Nevertheless, he said, the Commission must still find initiatives, both for the short-term and longer-term, ensuring to bring about from these discussions on the problems, well balanced solutions and obtain undertakings, which are as wide as possible from all the interested parties (basic and generic research industries, non governmental organisations, national governments and international organisations).