Combating Aids, malaria and tuberculosis: research partnership Europe/developing countries

PURPOSE : to propose a new partnership between Europe and the developing countries for the development of new medicines and new vaccines against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 1209/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community participation in a research and development programme aimed at developing new clinical interventions to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through a long-term partnership between Europe and developing countries, undertaken by several Member States. CONTENT : This Decision provides for a Community contribution to EDCTP Programme, which has been set up by certain participating Member States and Norway together with developing countries, in order to ensure a coherent programme for research to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. The total cost of the Programme is estimated at EUR 600 million over a five-year period. The objective of the EDCTP Programme is to accelerate the development of new clinical interventions to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and to improve generally the quality of research in relation to these diseases. The EDCTP Programme has been drawn up with a view to stepping up cooperation and the networking of European national programmes, accelerating clinical trials of new products, in particular drugs and vaccines, in the developing countries, helping to develop and strengthen capacities in the developing countries, including the promotion of technology transfer where appropriate and encouraging the participation of the private sector. The overall value of the participation of the participating Member States is estimated at EUR 200 million. Activities linked to obtaining additional funds, whether public or private, estimated at EUR 200 million, are provided for in the implementation of the EDCTP Programme. This Decision provides that the Community will pay a financial contribution to the common structure amounting to a maximum of EUR 200 million for the duration of the sixth framework programme established by Decision 1513/2002/EC. The Community financial contribution will be paid from the budget appropriation allocated to the priority theme 'Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' of the specific programme of the sixth framework programme entitled 'Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area (2002 to 2006)'. The Community financial participation is conditional upon several specified matters, including the setting up by participating Member States of a common structure for receiving and allocating the Community financial contribution. The other conditions include: - the establishment of the governance model for the EDCTP Programme involving a Partnership Board and in conformity with the guidelines set out in Annex II; - ensuring a high level of involvement of developing countries; - ensuring a high level of scientific excellence and observance of ethical principles in accordance with the general principles of the sixth framework programme; and - formulation of the provisions relating to intellectual property rights in such a way that they also aim at ensuring that the people of developing countries have easy and affordable access to the research results produced by activities under the EDCTPProgramme and to the products directly deriving from its results. The Commission must conduct an evaluation of the EDCTP Programme at the end of five years.�