WRITTEN QUESTION E-1784/03 by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission. Access to Medicines Round Table.
Date: 2003-05-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: TRIPS, World Trade Organisation, developing countries, health policy, international meeting, medicinal product, multilateral relations, public health, trade agreement

C 11 E/226

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

(2004/C 11 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1784/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(28 May 2003)

Subject: Access to Medicines Round Table

What conclusions has the Commission drawn from the EU/WTO Access to Medicines Round Table event
held in Brussels on 28 April, attended by Romano Prodi, Commissioner Lamy and Commissioner Busquin?

(2004/C 11 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1791/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(28 May 2003)

Subject: Doha Round of multilateral trade talks

The Doha Round of multilateral trade talks set a deadline of 31 March for agreement on the scope of talks
for freeing up trade in agriculture.

The Doha agenda also suggested agreement by the end of 2002 on improving access for developing
countries to lower-cost generic drugs to combat HIV/Aids and other diseases.

What is the view of the Commission on the progress, or lack of progress, in the Doha trade talks, with
particular reference to trade in agricultural produce and access to cheap generic drugs for developing
countries?

Joint answer
to Written questions E-1779/03, E-1784/03 and E-1791/03
given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2003)

The Commission is disappointed that thus far no agreement has been reached to address the problems
faced by developing countries with no or insufficient manufacturing capacities (Article 6 of the Doha
Declaration on Public Health and TRIPs). It is working together with its World Trade Organisation (WTO)
partners in order to secure a solution prior to the Cancun Ministerial in September 2003. Such a solution
should under no circumstances undermine the content of the Doha Declaration on Public Health and
TRIPs as agreed in November 2001.

Taking forward the access to medicines agenda is part of a broader and ambitious Commission strategy
spelt out in our Community Programme for Action on Communicable Diseases. The Commission works
jointly on the implementation of a series of actions eventually leading to the same objective: accelerated
action and improved health outcomes,
in particular in the area of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria and tuberculosis (TB). In light of this, the
Commission is fully committed to incorporating the Doha Declaration on Public Health and TRIPs into its
trade policies, and with particular regard to technical assistance for the implementation of the TRIPs
Agreement. It is the view of the Commission that proper implementation will improve access to medicines
including antiretrovirals (ARVS) to treat HIV/AIDS. The Community recently adopted a Communication to
the TRIPs Council: on the implementation of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPs Agreement and Public
Health calling upon all technical assistance providers, and in particular multilateral organisations to join
them in taking up this commitment, and thus fully integrate the Doha Declaration in their policies and
practices. This communication was welcomed by developing country members of the WTO.

As to the Round Table on Access to Medicines hosted by the Member of the Commission responsible for
Trade and the Member of the Commission responsible for Research and Technological Development on
the 28 April 2003, the discussions were meant to inform the Commission’s input into the G8 Summit in