Just a month after it seemed like negotiations were getting nowhere fast on waiving the intellectual property around Covid-19 vaccines ahead of a December deadline, as part of efforts to get more shots in the arms of people in low- and middle-income countries, the European Commission has now gone from threatening to veto any IP waiver to calling for a waiver.
Valdis Dombrovskis, a Latvian politician serving as European Commissioner of trade, said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon ahead of a key WTO meeting next week, ‘Specifically, we are advocating for a targeted waiver on compulsory licenses. This solution could facilitate production of vaccines and other essential health products, which are key for regions such as Africa, while preserving incentives for innovation and investment.’
https://endpts.com/europe-changes-its-tune-on-covid-19-vaccine-ip-advocating-now-for-a-targeted-waiver
