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India FTAs & medicines

Europe opens new front against affordable medicines in trade deal with India
7-Apr-2011 MSF
As free trade agreement talks between Europe and India resume in Brussels today, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply concerned about new measures Europe is pushing to restrict the production of affordable generic medicines that MSF and others rely on to treat patients across the developing world.
No data sharing on drugs of pharma cos in FTAs: Sharma
29-Mar-2011
India today ruled out sharing test data of drugs, or data exclusivity, of Indian pharma firms with developed countries and multi-national companies, and stressed that the provision will not form part of any free trade agreements pursued by the country.
HAI Europe on EU-India & EU-Mercosur trade agreements
19-Mar-2011
All eyes are on the EU-India trade agreement, and the repercussions it will have on access to medicines in India and other developing countries. At the same time, the EU is in the process of negotiating other trade agreements that could harm or hinder access to medicines, such as this week’s negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur countries.
Govt will protect interests of drug industry: Scindia
15-Mar-2011
Amid concerns expressed by the Indian industry, the government today said in Parliament that it will protect the interest of the domestic drug industry while finalising the free trade pact with European Union.
India, EU settle generics dispute, pave way for FTA talks in April
15-Mar-2011
India has sorted out most of its differences with the European Union on production of low-cost generic medicines, ahead of a crucial meeting on a proposed free-trade pact next month, a government official told ET. Civil society groups, however, warn that India should be on its guard to ensure that the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime is not changed to allow extension of patents.
Global e-protest against FTAs
8-Mar-2011 Act Up Paris
Write to members of Indian governement and European Commission to save affordable medicines and access to life-saving treatments in Africa, Asia and Latin America !
Action against EU-India and EU-Korea FTA in Seoul
3-Mar-2011 IP Left
The Korea-EU FTA must be dismantled. And the lives of patients in over 120 countries are on the line regarding the India-EU FTA. What will devastate the Pharmacy of the World must also be stopped.
HIV patients say ‘no’ to IP provision on generic drugs
2-Mar-2011
People in Asia living with HIV and who depend on affordable generic AIDS medicines to stay alive have impressed upon the Indian government to stand strong against European Union demands on the sensitive Intellectual Property (IP) chapter in ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Thousands of people with HIV protest India-EU trade deal restricting access to cheap drugs
2-Mar-2011
Thousands of people with HIV and cancer marched through the streets of India’s capital Wednesday to protest a planned trade deal with the European Union that they claim would restrict access to affordable medicines.
EU’s pharma trade hoax
25-Feb-2011 Hindu Business Line
The EU’s proposed trade agreement is riddled with intellectual property provisions that would harm India’s 2005 Patent Act and block public-interest rulings such as the Aluvia decision.
The EU-India free trade agreement: An interview with Loon Gangte
23-Feb-2011 OS Blog
"It’s like an ant fighting an elephant. We are one of the weakest and poorest groups and they (the EU and the pharmaceutical industry) are among the richest and strongest."
Kenya joins drive to block new EU policy on ARVs
8-Feb-2011 The Standard
Kenyan activists have written to the European Union and the Kenya Government, protesting what they term damaging trade agreements such as the European Union-India Free Trade Agreement and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. They say the pacts would damage the fight against Aids.
Data exclusivity still key hurdle to India-EU FTA
27-Jan-2011 Business Standard
Despite all official assurances, the path towards a free trade agreement between India and the European Union this year remains ambiguous, as both sides are unwilling to relax their stand on the biggest stumbling block — the issue of “data exclusivity”.
Rally protests EU-India trade pact which may cause end of generic drugs
7-Dec-2010 KangaOnline
Marking strong protest against the proposed signing of the European Union-India Free Trade Agreement on IP Provision, a mass protest rally was taken out today jointly by the Centre for Social Development in collaboration with organisation working on drugs and HIV/AIDS, North East Diaglogue Forum, Women Action for Development and Bosco Mangal, Chingmeirong Don Bosco Society, Imphal.
EU trade talks may deal blow to Aids fight
3-Dec-2010
Fears have been raised that cheap life-saving anti-retroviral drugs may no longer be available in Kenya if a trade agreement between the EU and India is concluded.
Afrique : L’accord UE-Inde pourrait menacer l’accès à des médicaments VIH essentiels
12-Nov-2010 IRIN
Alors que des responsables indiens et européens se rencontrent à Bruxelles pour mettre au point les détails d’un accord de libre-échange, des activistes de la société civile s’inquiètent que l’accord puisse déboucher sur une protection renforcée de la propriété intellectuelle qui pourrait réduire l’accès aux médicaments génériques indiens bon marché.
MSF protest over EU India trade talks
10-Nov-2010 MSF
MSF staff and supporters rally outside the offices of the European Commission to deliver an open letter of protest against ongoing trade talks between the European Union and India that could damage access to affordable medicines.
In depth: EU deal threatens HIV drug supplies
8-Nov-2010 Al Jazeera
How a trade deal being brokered between Europe and India could cut off the developing world’s supply of cheap medicines. Al Jazeera reports.
Nearly 250 NGOs across world urge PM to reject IP provisions in FTA with EU
11-Oct-2010 PharmaBiz
Hundreds of public interest groups across the world have jointly urged prime minister Manmohan Singh not to sign the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with European Union as the Centre’s role in medicines supply is under threat due to the intellectual property provisions included in the pact.
Call for International Week of Action against EU-India FTA
5-Oct-2010
We are calling for an international week of joint action from 4 October 2010 to 9 October 2010 to call upon the Government of India to reject the EU-India FTA, especially the provisions relating to intellectual property rights and investment.