114 European Union Parliamentarians or MEP have issued a declaration calling European Commission and the European Council to not block waiver for COVID vaccine intellectual property rights (IPR) wavier at the world trade organization. The proposal for wavier was given by India and South Africa jointly last year, but faces stiff opposition from western countries including the EU.
The declaration said, "EU's open opposition to the TRIPS waiver risks exacerbating a dangerous North-South divide when it comes to affordable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, personal protective equipment, treatments, and vaccines."
Pointing out to the need for an IPR waiver it said, "WTO decision on a potential waiver offers a crucial and much-needed act of effective solidarity as it is an important step towards increasing local production in partner countries and, ultimately, suppressing this pandemic on a global scale."
The development comes ahead of the European Council meeting on Thursday and the crucial decision to be made by all Member States at the WTO General Council on March 1-2.
European Parliament is made up of 705 Members elected in the 27 Member States of the enlarged European Union. MEPs who have backed the declaration include, Kathleen Van Brempt,Anna Cavazzini, Benoît Lutgen, Philippe Lamberts, Marie Arena etc.
Calling for 'constructive dialogue' with partner countries, the declaration highlighted that the action will 'enable local production capacities (for COVID vaccine) and increase their access to COVID-19 treatments."
It reminded COVID-19 medical products are 'global public goods' and the statements by the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the European Union have not 'translated into actionable realities'.
The WTO met on Tuesday, to discuss the proposal and with consensus yet to be achieved, 35 member LDC group (Least-developed countries) have come out in support of the proposal. While the proposal increases access to the COVID vaccine by given authorisation to production for the commodity for anyone, for the west a license-free regime means permanently altering the IP landscape.
