Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Council for TRIPS and the General Council of the World Trade Organisation as regards the request from least developed country members for an extension of the transitional period under Article 66(1) of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights concerning certain obligations related to pharmaceutical products, and for a waiver from the obligations under Article 70(8) an

The objective of this proposal is to allow the European Union to join a consensus in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the adoption of two decisions.

First, a decision granting an extension for least developed countries (LDCs) of the Transition Period under Article 66.1 of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) for certain obligations with respect to pharmaceutical products for as long as they remain least developed countries.

Second, a decision granting a waiver from obligations with respect to pharmaceutical products under Article 70.8 and Article 70.9 of that Agreement for least developed countries for as long as they remain least developed countries.

The extension and the waiver are due to expire on 1 January 2016. Bangladesh on behalf of the least-developed country Members requested on 23 February 2015 an indefinite extension of the Transition Period under Article 66.1 from TRIPS and an indefinite waiver from obligations under Article 70.8 and Article 70.9 with respect to pharmaceutical products for as long as they remain least developed countries.

This proposal provides that the Council authorises the Commission to take a position on behalf of the European Union within the WTO to join a consensus as regards the said decisions.

EUR-Lex: COM(2015)426: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2015:426:FIN

ESO: Background information: European Commission supports better access to medicines in poorest countries http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-european-commission-supports-better-access-to-medicines-in-poorest-countries/

---