European Council Backs LDC Extension At WTO

The European Council has confirmed that it will support the request of least developed countries at the World Trade Organization for the extension of a waiver of intellectual property obligations for pharmaceutical products.

The Council adopted a draft decision “establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the General Council of the World Trade Organisation as regards the request from least developed country members for an extension of the transitional period under Article 66(1) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights concerning certain obligations related to pharmaceutical products, and for a waiver from the obligations under Article 70(8) and (9) of that Agreement.”

The European Commission issued a communication in September saying it agrees to support the LDC request at the WTO as long as a country has LDC status (IPW, WTO/TRIPS, 10 September 2015). The decision then went to the European Council of ministers, which gave its support.