DCFTA: Moroccans' access to medicine is guaranteed, European Commission

Brussels - The Deep and Comprehensive free trade agreement (DCFTA), negotiated between Morocco and the EU will not include any measures likely to restrict Moroccans' access to medicine, said the European Commission on Friday. "One of the main priorities of the trade policy of the EU is to ensure access to medicine in developing countries," said the European Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht, noting that it is for this reason that in all its free trade agreements, the EU considers the level of development and concerns of its trading partners in public health.

The Commissioner assured that the provisions relating to intellectual property negotiated with Morocco include an explicit reference to the Doha Declaration, to ensure that the facilities granted by The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), in particular with regard to patents on medicine, can be fully used by trading partners.