Civil society letter calls for European Parliament to support global access to medical tools

The letter calls on Members of the European Parliament to support proposed amendments to allow simultaneous supply to EU countries and non-EU countries as well proposed updates to Regulation 816/2006 dealing exclusively with exports. [...] Dear Members of the European Parliament, Ahead of the March 2024 plenary meeting of the European Parliament, we, the undersigned civil society organisations, call on you to support crucial amendments allowing the export of medical tools to third countries in the proposed Union Compulsory License. [...] As Civil Society Organisations, we support the creation of a Union Compulsory License in addition to national Compulsory License provisions, as it can significantly enhance the operationality of compulsory licenses within the European Union (EU). [...] However, the current draft proposal put forward for a plenary vote of the European Parliament contains restrictive provisions (article 11 & 12) explicitly prohibiting the exportation of products produced under the Union Compulsory License outside the EU. [...] Recognising the importance of this issue, the European Parliament Trade Committee has put forward amendments allowing export of a non-predominant part of the supply under a Union Compulsory License as well proposed updates to Regulation 816/2006 dealing exclusively with exports.