WRITTEN QUESTION E-1047/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 April 2001)

Subject: Generic Aids drugs

What is the Commission's standpoint on the confrontation between major world pharmaceutical companies and various third world countries which are particularly affected by the Aids epidemic and which are seeking to manufacture and use generic medicines to fight the disease? Is the Commission prepared, like the UN World Health Organisation, to take up a position which gives priority above all to the humanitarian requirements needed to combat this scourge rather than favouring the egoistic and hegemonic interests of pharmaceutical firms?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2001)

The Commission has taken a clear position on this issue which is set out in the Programme for Action: Accelerated action on acquired immune deficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS), malaria and tuberculosis (TB) in the context of poverty reduction(1). Ensuring that poor country markets are supplied with adequate and affordable medicines is one of the priorities of the Programme, as is increasing investment in health care and in research.

Many developing countries are faced with emergencies due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Due to increased international awareness of the issue, a growing number of pharmaceutical companies are today offering their products to developing countries at prices comparable with the lowest prices on the world market.

The Commission supports this development and is promoting the setting up of a global tiered pricing system. It believes that this will make tiered pricing the rule when supplying medicines, whether patented or not, to developing countries and ensure that such medicines are delivered in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices.

(1) COM(2001) 96 final.