DNP+ and MSF urge India to reject EU demands on trade deal before April deadline

Pressure is mounting on India to quickly sign off on a free trade agreement with the European Union which still contains provisions that will harm people’s access to medicines in India and across the developing world, the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+) and the international medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) have warned. Representatives of the groups protested today outside the European Commission India headquarters in Delhi, demanding the harmful provisions be removed.

“The EU cannot claim it supports access to medicines and is concerned about the lives of patients in developing countries, and in the same breath be pushing harsh provisions around intellectual property enforcement on India,” said Loon Gangte of DNP+, adding: “What the EU wants in this trade deal will pose a huge threat to future access to affordable generic medicines, including the drugs I need for HIV. We’re here to tell the EU that they cannot push this deal through without a fight, and we’re here to tell India not to cave in to the pressure.”

As the negotiations have progressed in recent months, certain provisions damaging to access to medicines have been removed from the proposed deal, including, for example, attempts to extend the duration of patents. However, the intellectual property (IP) enforcement and investment provisions are still seriously concerning, particularly as an early April deadline to sign the agreement draws ever nearer.