Avoiding trade diversion into the EU of certain key medicines. Codification

The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the report by Laura FERRARA (EFD, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council to avoid trade diversion into the European Union of certain key medicines (codified text).

The committee recommended the European Parliament to adopt its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal as adapted to the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.

According to the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the proposal in question contains a straightforward codification of the existing texts without any change in their substance.

Price segmentation between developed country markets and the poorest developing country markets is necessary to ensure that the poorest developing countries are supplied with essential pharmaceutical products at heavily reduced prices. Therefore, those heavily reduced prices cannot be understood as a reference for the price to be paid for the same products in developed country markets.

The proposed codified Regulation serves the purpose of preventing tiered priced products from being imported into the Union. Exemptions are laid down for certain situations.