Marc Botenga is a Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Board of Directors of Viva Salud. He is closely monitoring the issue of access to COVID-19 vaccines. We asked him about the political progress being made towards waiving patents on these vaccines at a global level.
How widespread is global support for a universal vaccine at present?
«Rarely have the West in general, and the European Union in particular, been so isolated on the world stage. As early as May 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set up a platform (COVAX) aimed at facilitating the sharing of technologies and patents. Its Director-General supports a suspension of patents. At the World Trade Organisation (WTO), a coalition of more than 100 countries is proposing to lift intellectual property rights. Major countries such as India and South Africa are at the forefront of this call. Former presidents such as Brazil’s Lula, as well as twenty-five Nobel Peace Prize laureates, have spoken out in favour of lifting patent protections. And within Europe itself, opinion polls show that around three-quarters of the population are in favour of action on patents.»
In May, even Joe Biden sent out a positive signal. What does this development mean for global access to COVID-19 vaccines?
«Biden did indeed state that his government supported action on patents. After a year of the pandemic, this statement by Joe Biden was a belated but important signal. It was the result of this popular mobilisation, which is also evident in the United States. At the same time, Biden also wanted to restore the United States» reputation on the international stage. The United States had long blocked all exports, not only of vaccines, but even of the raw materials used by other countries to manufacture those vaccines. It had therefore actively sabotaged the sharing of vaccines. Other countries, such as China, on the other hand, were exporting vaccines to various nations. In this way, China was gaining prestige in certain developing countries, whilst the United States was losing a great deal of it. Biden therefore wanted to correct the situation somewhat. But so far, we have only his words. If we want Biden to keep his promise, we will need to increase the pressure even further.”
What is the situation in the European Union? Can you see that things are starting to move?
«On 16 April 2020, over a year ago, out of the 137 MEPs taking part in the debate, I was the only one to raise the issue of pharmaceutical monopolies during a debate on the Covid-19 crisis. In the meantime, in May and June, a majority in the European Parliament voted in favour of lifting these patents. This was not due to my speech, but rather to the countryside which was carried out in collaboration with NGOs, trade unions, voluntary organisations and political parties.
Unfortunately, just because the European Parliament has passed a resolution does not mean that the European Commission will listen. And although some Commissioners sometimes claim to be in favour of lifting patent protection, the Commission continues to undermine negotiations at the World Trade Organisation. It even refuses to recognise the European Parliament’s vote. Behind the scenes, it claims there is no majority, whilst the parliamentary resolution was approved by a majority of almost 100 votes.»
What message do you have for Big Pharma and those opposed to a ‘People’s Vaccine’?
«You know, Big Pharma’s primary objective is always profit. These multinationals invest in the medicines they believe will be the most profitable. When the European Commission wanted to invest more public funds in pandemic research in 2018, the pharmaceutical industry dismissed the proposal out of hand because there wasn’t enough profit to be made. Vaccine development is costly and profit margins are low. An effective vaccine protects you for a long time. One little jab for everyone and you’ve eradicated a disease. Instead of investing in vaccines against SARS, Big Pharma prefers «blockbuster» drugs, which are taken over a long period. At the start of this century, around a quarter of Pfizer’s sales came from a single product: the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. What matters is profit, and so, to put it bluntly: Viagra can be more lucrative than a vaccine.»
What can we do as citizens to change the situation?
«The fact that the European Commission refuses even to recognise a vote by the European Parliament shows that only mobilisation can bring about change. We must step up the pressure at national, European and international levels. We know that at the World Trade Organisation, the European Union is isolated. The pressure is enormous.
At European level, the European Citizens’ Initiative No Profit from the Pandemic plays an important role in coordinating the campaign across different countries. This initiative aims to collect 1 million signatures to force the Commission to take action. »People are collecting signatures and taking action from Cyprus to Ireland, via Italy, France and Belgium. This is putting pressure on both the European Commission and certain Member States.”
Photo: European Union 2021 (EP)
Read also
Read other articles and interviews on the same theme on our website:
- An independent study on the coronavirus pandemic points the finger at Europe
- The pandemic is not over. Let's change it!
- Minister De Croo, make the vaccine a public good
- It's unfair that we have to live under duress because Big Pharma wants to make a profit, an interview with Janneke Ronse, MPLP
- If only COVAX had chosen to break Big Pharma's monopoly, our interview with the expert Prasanna Saligram from PHM
