By Martin Banks - 20th October 2009
The EU is guilty of double standards
Elise Ford
The EU has been accused of putting the interests of big drug companies before the two billion people in the world who cannot access essential medicines.
The claim is made in a report published at a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday by Oxfam International and Health Action International Europe.
It says the EU’s actions also "undermine its obligations" to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, as well as World Trade Organization agreements.
Its publication coincides with recent news that India and Brazil are filing a complaint against the commission at the WTO after the Netherlands seized anti-HIV and other medicines earlier this year.
The medicines were going from India via Europe to Brazil, Colombia and Nigeria.
The report says that, since late 2008, Germany as well as the Netherlands has made customs seizures together totalling 19 shipments of generic medicines bound for developing countries. Oxfam and HAI (Europe) say these shipments were legitimate under WTO rules.
Elise Ford, Oxfam head of EU advocacy, said, “The EU is guilty of double standards.
"There is one rule for the rich and another for the poor. A crackdown on European pharmaceutical prices is happening alongside a concerted effort to further push intellectual property rules that prevent poor countries from buying affordable medicines.
"The EU’s policies are increasing the cost of medicines. This is hitting the poorest people in developing countries disproportionately hard, as 20-60 per cent of their health budgets are spent on medicines.
“Millions of poor people have to pay for medicines out of their own pockets so even a small price rise can make them unaffordable. Europe’s policies are directly responsible for this scandal,” Ford said.
Sophie Bloemen, projects officer for Health Action International Europe, said, “The EU must accept its moral and legal obligations. There is growing evidence that the EU’s trade agenda is causing severe damage to public health in developing countries.”
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