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Development and Intellectual Property under the EPA Negotiations |
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Policy Brief 6
March 2007
Executive Summary
The negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries
are likely to result in additional layers of intellectual property right protection,
at least in the case of the agreement with Cariforum countries. A review
of the ongoing negotiations and various draft texts and papers demonstrates
an inadequate focus on the need for technological development, promotion of
public health, protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge as
well as for ensuring access to knowledge. Considering the level of economic
development in ACP countries, the negotiations should not include IP rights
as part of the partnership agreement. Instead they should focus on industrial
on various EU policies that have impeded participation of the ACP countries
in the value-chain of products, protection of biodiversity and traditional knowledge and the use of TRIPS flexibilities.
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