Under pressure, the EU says it has a way of promoting productivity other than the removal of patents, which is now US-sponsored.
The European Union has issued a plan that it believes will help improve the design and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine more effectively than the patent waiver of patents currently supported by the United States.
Under pressure from developing countries to demand the right to vaccinate (IP) vaccines and medical care, the EU will on Wednesday adopt a new approach that addresses export restrictions, promises from vaccine makers and changes in existing World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. ).
WTO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday the world has reached a “racist vaccine”, with poorer countries making up half of the 17% vaccine population.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told the European Parliament that universal access to justice is of paramount importance in the world.
Opposing the availability of a global vaccine, Dombrovskis told lawmakers that the EU was ready to take part in a study to find out how the WTO agreement on how the vaccine was made available.
India and South Africa have been urging fellow WTO members since October to raise IP rights to vaccination as a way to ensure world delivery. The controversy over the issue resumed last week with US President Joe Biden agreed with the idea.
The EU and other opponents say this does not increase vaccination.
The Vice President of the European Commission said the only way to make the world a better place is to increase production, distribute more vaccines and make them cheaper.
Dombrovskis said the EU system had three elements.
Export restrictions should be reduced, he said, indicating that half of all vaccines produced in EU countries were exported. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Washington on Saturday to lift foreign vaccines and vaccines.
Vaccinators and vaccinators should also make concrete promises to increase donations to developing countries in crisis, Dombrovskis said.
Finally, Dombrovskis confirmed the existing WTO rules allowing countries to issue licenses to manufacturers even without the permission of their owners. If a manufacturer like this provides a vaccine at a low price, the right holder should not make a profit on payment.
The commission, which will issue the directive to WTO members in early June, said it could be done much faster than a waiver, which would require a change in WTO rules and could take months to make.
The European Parliament will vote on an election against IP in June, although Wednesday’s debate showed a split between the left and right parties in the Green Party.
