Anti-Covid-19 vaccines: the lifting of patents under debate in the European Parliament
Unlike US President Joe Biden;
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is opposed to the lifting of patents for Covid-19 vaccines.
AP - Matt Slocum
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The question of the lifting of patents for Covid-19 vaccines back before the European Parliament.
MEPs were called upon to vote on Wednesday, June 9 on whether the EU should ask the World Trade Organization (WTO) to waive intellectual property rights.
India and South Africa are campaigning for a waiver of intellectual property rights to coronavirus vaccines, so that each country can produce doses.
The Biden administration supported this call.
But within the European Union, opinions are more divided.
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Lifting the patents would make it possible to go faster in vaccination and for less, believes Manon Aubry.
The MEP from the group of the European United Left regrets that the Commission and the European states are opposed to it.
"
At the rate we are going, we will have vaccinated all of humanity in 27 years,"
says the MEP at the microphone of
Anastasia Becchio
of the international service.
I recall that 70% of vaccine doses have gone to rich countries and that many states are impatiently waiting to be able to immunize their populations as well.
"
On the side of the French delegation of the Renew group, Véronique Trillet-Lenoir believes that the priorities lie elsewhere and in particular the donation, export and strengthening of industrial capacities.
“
It's certainly not the only solution and probably not the best,
” she says.
We find it hard to imagine that a technology like messenger RNA could be quickly implemented on African soil.
"
►
See also: Vaccines: visiting South Africa, Macron pleads for a temporary lifting of patents
Companies urged to "
keep their discoveries secret
"
The French delegation of the European People's Party (EPP) voted against.
"
If we decide today that because a vaccine works, patents must be lifted, we will push companies to either stop investing in health research, since as soon as something works the States will appropriate it, or to keep their discoveries secret
, ”explains François Xavier Bellamy.
In front of MEPs, Ursula von der Leyen stuck to her position.
The President of the European Commission highlights the know-how, the technology necessary to produce vaccines: "
We do not
achieve this
simply by removing intellectual property rights
", she defends.
►
To read also: Anti-Covid-19 vaccines: why the laboratories are standing up against the lifting of patents
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Vaccines
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