EU Commissioner Signals Support For LDC Request To Waive IP Rights Enforcement On Pharma

European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said in a recent speech that providing she has the backing of the College of Commissioners, the Council and the European Parliament, she would like to answer positively to the request by least developed countries (LDCs) to extend a particular exemption to enforce intellectual property rights on medical products as long as they remain an LDC.

Cecilia Malmström EU Trade Commissioner

The commissioner’s speech was made on 13 July.

The LDC group at the World Trade Organization has requested that the Council for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) extend a waiver allowing them to choose not to enforce IP rights on medical products as long as they do not graduate from their LDC status (IPW, WTO/TRIPS, 11 June 2015).

Their request has been backed by several international agencies, such as the UN World Health Organization.

In her speech [pdf], Malmström said: “We don’t have to wait until the communication is published to take action to support the world’s least developed countries. They have requested an exemption from the WTO’s intellectual property rules on access to medicines, for as long as they remain LDCs. Provided I have the backing of the College of Commissioners, the Council and this Parliament, I want to respond positively to that request.”

The speech was delivered to the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee on Modernising Trade Policy. Knowledge Ecology International has published an analysis of the speech.

Image Credits: European Parliament