Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-07-03-Speech-2-165"
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"en.20010703.9.2-165"2
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".
That is a very good question. There is a tiered pricing option mid-way between the strict protection of intellectual property, the patent system in other words, and exceptions to this system such as compulsory licensing, and this is the option that we have considered in conjunction with the pharmaceutical industry and some of the countries concerned. Tiered pricing involves a pharmaceutical laboratory reducing the prices that we pay on our markets by around 10% for countries such as Africa, for example, whilst still owning its patent.
This process is beginning to get off the ground although its scope is, in our view, fairly limited at the present time, and it will be the subject of an international initiative, which has, moreover, already been launched by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The idea is for there to be a joint fund, to which several countries have already contributed and which will be used to buy medicines wholesale at low cost, which will therefore solve this part of the problem regarding price-related access, provided that the necessary funds are in place. For the time being, however, the funds are still very limited.
I would reiterate that the price of medicines is just part of a much wider problem which, in the main, relates to the health care system, distribution and the ability of the people concerned, particularly in the case of AIDS, to take their medicine regularly, something which involves extremely complicated medical procedures. In general, however, to answer your question, yes, the international community is moving in this direction and the European Union will follow suit since some funding has already been earmarked for this purpose."@en1
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