European Union News on Access Issues

Upcoming event

2 November
HAI Europe/Medico International announce joint seminar on sustaining access to medicines in Europe, click here to see the seminar announcement and programme

6 July 2001
EU summarises position in staff working paper on the Global Health Fund

31 May 2001
EU Council and Commission release joint declaration on global health fund proposal

20 March 2001
EU Trade Minister discusses flexibility within intellectual property rights at Oxfam seminar

15 March 2001
European Parliament approves resolution on HIV/AIDS and South Africa

6 March 2001
HIV/AIDS in South Africa: Commission supports action to fight disease

5 March 2001
German Minister and European Parliament's Greens/European Free Alliance call on industry to withdraw from South African court case

1 March 2001
German development network BUKO Pharma Kampagne speaks out on South African case (German language material).

27 February 2001
Dutch Prime Minister speaks out strongly in support of South Africa's fight for increased access to needed medicines.

22 February 2001
Dutch NGOs led by Wemos and NiZA call on EU Commission and Dutch Government to show public support for the South African Government's efforts to increase action during an upcoming court case brought by pharmaceutical companies. Read the letters sent to the EU Trade Commissioner and South African President Mbeki which were endorsed by HAI Europe and others.

21 February 2001
EU Commission releases Programme of Action: Accelerated action on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis in the context of poverty reduction. Click to read the EU Commission's press release or the document's full text.

14 February 2001
WHO Director General predicts that affordable medicines are within reach

28 September 2001
EU Commission co-sponsors Roundtableon Communicable Diseases with the WHO and UNAIDS at which EU Ministers promise action on increasing access to medicines
Click here to read the meeting report (157 pages)