India to seek EU support on vaccine patent waiver
THE US, THE EU, CANADA & THE UK ARE AMONG THE PROMINENT HOLDOUTS TO THE PROPOSAL MADE BY INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICA
New Delhi is set to push for European Union (EU) support for a waiver of patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines during the India-EU Summit on Saturday, which is also expected to witness the launch of negotiations on three key trade-related agreements.
Though the Biden administration has announced the US will back a temporary suspension of intellectual property rights for vaccines at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the perception in New Delhi is that the EU is yet to fully throw its weight behind such a move, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity.
The heads of state or government of all 27 members of the EU will gather in the Portuguese city of Porto for the virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi – only the second time such a gathering will be held following the EU’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in March.
Till this week, the US, the EU, Canada and the UK were among the prominent holdouts to the proposal made last year by India and South Africa for relaxing the norms of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for Covid-19 vaccines.
After the US made a U-turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday the EU is ready to discuss how the US proposal for a waiver for vaccines could help achieve the objective of addressing the Covid-19 crisis in a pragmatic manner.
“The EU is still to take a position on the waiver, even though prominent members like France have backed the lifting of patents,” said one of the people cited above.
“The pharmaceutical lobby in Europe is one of the strongest, probably stronger than even the automobile lobby, and always works to ensure its margins. But the ground is shrinking for the EU after the support for the Indian proposal from the US and France,” said a second person.
EU officials have described the resumption of trade talks, which stalled in 2013 because of differences on issues such as market access for European products and mobility for Indian professionals, as a breakthrough and a “major step”.
The two sides will also unveil a connectivity partnership based on a shared approach towards transparent initiatives that respect international standards and provide fair opportunities to Indian and European companies, senior EU officials said at a virtual briefing on Thursday. This will only be the EU’s second connectivity partnership after a similar arrangement with Japan.
“We expect the leaders to endorse the launch of negotiations on three agreements – on trade, investment protection and geographical indications and this is a major step,” said an EU official, adding the move would help boost recovery from the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Other issues expected to figure in the summit are cooperation on maritime security, cybersecurity and counterterrorism and enhanced collaboration to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific among others.