MSF analysis of EU communications to TRIPS Council

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On behalf of the European Union (EU), on 4 June 2021, the European Commission submitted a communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Council for Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council), which outlines a counter-proposal to the proposal for a temporary TRIPS waiver on intellectual property (IP) on COVID-19 medical tools, led by South Africa and India with 63 co-sponsoring WTO members.

In parallel, the EU submitted a communication to the WTO General Council containing IP elements suggesting that governments should encourage voluntary actions of pharmaceutical corporations towards the expansion of production, and recommending reliance on ‘clarified’ compulsory licenses on patents.

In this briefing document, MSF analysed these EU proposals, finding them weak and bringing nothing new to the table.

robbie lawlor