18 März 2022
Not Much of a Waiver
Seventeen months after South Africa and India initiated the TRIPS waiver proposal, the negotiating “quad” (South Africa, India, US and the EU) is reported to have reached a compromise at the WTO. The text of the proposal was leaked this week. From a legal perspective, the outcome of the compromise is more muddled and confusing than clarifying, although it claims its aim to be the latter. As it presently stands, the text is not so much a waiver of TRIPS obligations than a modification of existing obligations and conditions of exemptions around patents, as well as an introduction of additional requirements. Continue reading >>
0 
05 Juli 2021
Im selben Boot
Den Weltmeeren geht das Leben aus. Würden sich düstere Vorhersagen bewahrheiten, wären die Ozeane im Jahr 2048 leergefischt. Zur Überfischung tragen auch staatliche Subventionen bei. Am 15. Juli 2021 könnten sich die Mitgliedstaaten der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) auf den Abschluss eines Abkommens über das Verbot von Fischereisubventionen einigen, um dieses Problem anzugehen. Ein Vertragsentwurf liegt seit dem 11. Mai 2021 vor. Doch der Teufel steckt wie üblich im Detail: Beim näheren Hinsehen offenbart der Entwurf Schwachstellen, die Zweifel daran aufwerfen, ob das Subventionsverbotsregime dem Leben unter Wasser spürbar dienen wird. Continue reading >>
0
07 Mai 2021
Three Crises and One Waiver
On patents, pandemics, and old hues on new world maps Continue reading >>
0
07 Mai 2021
Drei Krisen und ein Waiver
Über Pharmapatente, die WTO und alte Farbtöne auf neuen Corona-Inzidenzweltkarten Continue reading >>
0
31 Dezember 2020
Speaking of Solidarity
Today the official deadline for members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to submit a report to its General Council on a waiver proposal expires. This waiver would allow WTO members not to comply with certain obligations of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for a limited amount of time in order to be able to effectively prevent, contain and treat COVID-19. For now, members have failed to take this first step towards a temporary suspension of TRIPS obligations but they agreed to continue the discussions beyond today's deadline. Nonetheless, the proposal highlights that intellectual property rights can not only act as an obstacle to global and just access to vaccines and medical equipment but also that the exisiting legal framework is inadequate to tackle crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading >>
0
14 September 2018
WTO Option in Practice: How a No-Deal Brexit Would Seriously Damage Key UK Industries
Whilst a no-deal Brexit seemed unrealistic in the immediate aftermath of the UK’s referendum, it seems that now the UK is bracing itself for a Brexit without a withdrawal or transition agreement. What would that mean for the UK's trade relations with the EU and other countries and how would it affect some of the UK's key industries? Continue reading >>
0
11 März 2018
Stahl und Whiskey – ein transatlantischer Handelskrieg?
US-Präsident Trump hat am 8. März Zusatzzölle auf Einfuhren von Stahl und Aluminium bekanntgegeben, die zu weltweiter Empörung geführt haben. Die EU hat schon “Gegenmaßnahmen” angekündigt. Wie sind beide im welthandelsrechtlichen Kontext einzuordnen? Stehen wir vor einem transatlantischen Handelskrieg? Continue reading >>25 Januar 2017
Sailing uncharted waters – for how long? On transitional post-Brexit trade arrangements
Given the short timeframe for negotiating an exit agreement, the UK and the EU-27 may not be able to agree on new terms for their future trade relations before the UK’s formal exit from the EU takes effect. Consequently, many experts are pushing for a transitional arrangement. Continue reading >>16 Dezember 2009