Text tabled : A7-0289/2012

  Marina Yannakoudakis (ECR). – Madam President, why is it that a trade agreement that will facilitate the import of high-quality and affordable medicines into Europe is such a political hot potato? Because the trade agreement is with Israel.

To provide European patients with life-saving drugs at lower prices has taken over two years of negotiations, even though this is an already established joint commitment with Israel. We need to use more generic drugs to lower our healthcare bills. Israel, despite its small size, is at the forefront of major medical innovations. By using Israel’s generic drugs, the cost to healthcare systems for blood pressure medication, for example, could be reduced by 92 %.

I voted for this report because I believe in free trade. Members of the European Parliament should be supporting free trade, especially in an industry which is vital to the recovery of the EU.