Solutions to improve access to medicines and biomedical innovation through EU trade and R&D policy

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Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) free trade and research and development (R&D) policies promote excessive intellectual property (IP) protection. This approach jeopardises access to affordable, needed medicines and impedes needs-driven biomedical innovation.

Develop coherent policies across DGs that support development

Despite the Directorate-General (DG) for Trade being the Directorate in the European Commission (EC) responsible for leading the policy-making process around free trade agreements (FTAs) and other EU trade policies, it is imperative that concerns and proposals from other critical EU stakeholders are taken into account. This includes other DGs within the EC, especially DG Development, DG SANCO, the European Parliament (EP) and EU Member States (MS). This critical oversight is necessary to ensure that European public health, development and trade policies are coherent and not undermined, and benefit citizens in the EU and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) alike.