The EU has unveiled the WTO plan to boost COVID vaccine production Coronavirus pandemic News

Under pressure, the EU says it has an alternative to boost production more effectively than waiving patent rights, now backed by the US.

The European Union, in its view, has unveiled a plan that will help boost the production and usability of COVID-19 vaccines more effectively, rather than renouncing U.S. patent-protected rights.

When developing countries demand the waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights over vaccines and treatments, the EU on Wednesday presented an alternative to export restrictions, vaccine developers ’commitments and the flexibility of current World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WTO, said on Monday that the world has reached a state of “apartheid from the vaccine”, with the poorest countries making up half the population receiving only 17% of vaccines.

EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has told the European Parliament that universal and direct access is a top priority for the world community.

In a debate on access to global vaccines, Dombrovskis told lawmakers that the EU was ready to consider whether the temporary rejection of the WTO TRIPS agreement could make vaccines more useful.

India and South Africa have since October called on WTO members to remove IP rights to vaccines as a way to ensure supply to the world. The debate on the issue was rekindled last week by US President Joe Biden he sided with the idea.

The EU and other opponents have said this will not increase vaccine production.

The Vice-President of the European Commission said the most effective way to achieve universal access is to increase production, share more vaccines and make them affordable.

Dombrovskis said the EU plan has three elements.

He said export cuts should be kept to a minimum, with half of the vaccines produced in EU countries being exported. French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called on Washington to suspend restrictions on exports of vaccines and vaccine ingredients.

Dombrovskis said vaccine producers and developers should make concrete commitments to provide production cost to the most vulnerable developing countries.

Finally, Dombrovskis highlighted the rules of the WTO, allowing countries to grant licenses to manufacturers, even without the permission of the patent holder. If the manufacturer provides the vaccines at cost price, the rights holder would not make a profit with the payment due to him.

The commission, which will present the plan to WTO members in early June, said it could be implemented much faster than the waiver, which would change the WTO rules and take many months.

The European Parliament will vote on a resolution to reject the IP in June, although Wednesday’s debate showed a clear division between the green group on the left and the green group on the side and the opposition on the right.