Press Release: Commission welcomes changes to EU law to allow export of patented medicine to countries in need

The European Commission on 28 April 2006 welcomed the adoption by the European Council of a regulation allowing companies to produce copies of patented medicines under license for export to 'countries in need' without sufficient capacity to produce them. The regulation implemented within the EU the necessary conditions to meet a WTO Agreement of December 2005, under which national authorities can grant compulsory licences for such production if certain conditions are fulfilled.