The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the counterfeiting of medicinal products is increasing in the world, with the WHO estimating that 6% of the drugs on the world market are counterfeit, a figure which reaches 25% in developing countries,

B.  whereas the definition of a counterfeit drug developed by the WHO in conjunction with the pharmaceuticals industry and drug regulators describes it as 'a medicine which is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit products may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients, without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging',

C.  whereas the causes of counterfeiting are different in Europe and in developing countries and consequently require different solutions,

D.  whereas counterfeit medicines may have very serious consequences for human health and have already caused deaths among patients unaware of their true nature,

E.  whereas this trafficking in fake medicines is partly a consequence of the lack of political awareness and commitment, weak regulatory systems, inadequate enforcement capacity and, especially in developing countries, the lack of access to genuine medicines, surprised by the public authorities, the dismantling of public health and pharmaceutical supply services and the excessive privileges guaranteed to drug laboratories,

F.  whereas in developing countries in particular the excessive cost of medicines needed to fight diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, and also other essential and life-saving medicines, may force people to seek lower-priced products, to obtain these essential medicines from illegal sources and to expose themselves to the risks inherent in using counterfeit products,

1.  Expresses deep concern at the problems people face in gaining access to appropriate medicines and at the use of counterfeit medicines both in developing countries and in Europe;

2.  Insists that more action is necessary in order to guarantee access to medicines of proven quality for everyone and calls on the Commission, therefore, to promote programmes aimed at helping developing countries to develop their public health services and monitor the quality of medicines;

3.  Asks the Commission to set up programmes for developing countries aimed at combating counterfeit medicines on their territory;

4.  Considers it necessary to improve the facilities for licence-free production for all developing countries, as without public health no development will be possible;

5.  Asks the Commission to establish, in close cooperation with the health services of the Member States, a plan to combat more effectively the sources of counterfeit medicines on EU territory;

6.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Directors of the WHO and the WTO, the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.