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Environmentalists hail pact, but drug companies slam new rules

WASHINGTON — Reactions to the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) among international civil society and businesses have been mixed. Environmentalists praised the economic pact for its wildlife protection clauses, while businesses have taken issue with the rule to let drug makers keep propriety data secret for at least five years, saying negotiators should have extended the protection period to 12 years.

WASHINGTON — Reactions to the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) among international civil society and businesses have been mixed. Environmentalists praised the economic pact for its wildlife protection clauses, while businesses have taken issue with the rule to let drug makers keep propriety data secret for at least five years, saying negotiators should have extended the protection period to 12 years.

Environmentalists have hailed the TPP as a groundbreaking agreement, noting that it would strengthen international environmental enforcement agreements and go a long way towards diminishing the illegal trade in certain plants and animals.

These measures represent a major breakthrough on one of the most divisive issues in the contentious trade negotiations, as well as a significant victory for President Barack Obama’s administration, which had pushed for strong environmental provisions against the objections of most countries involved in the 12-nation deal.

“The provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership go beyond what we have seen in other trade agreements,” said Mr David McCauley, senior vice-president for policy and government affairs at the World Wildlife Fund, which was among several advocacy groups that had worked closely with the administration on the final language. “We see this as a very big deal.”

The final agreement complements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as CITES. CITES, the primary global treaty for wildlife protection, provides a list of animals and plants for which international trade is banned or restricted.

Under the TPP, countries would be required to enforce laws and regulations to protect wildlife covered under the CITES agreement from illegal smuggling or risk economic sanctions. It goes further by requiring countries to take action to protect any wildlife, even if it is not covered under CITES, if the wildlife has been illegally taken from any country.

Meanwhile, the biotechnology industry was sceptical about the TPP. “BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) strongly believes that 12 years of data exclusivity is a prerequisite to attract the investment required to continue medical innovation and develop new biological cures and therapies,” Mr Jim Greenwood, president and chief executive officer of the lobbying group BIO, said in an e-mailed statement.

Under US federal law, manufacturers of advanced biotechnology drugs made from living organisms are allowed to keep their drug data secret for 12 years from competitors after approval for sale by the Food and Drug Administration.

But for many countries in the trade pact, the five-year exclusivity period is already longer than the one they currently enforce. That will pressure their budgets and may significantly reduce access to drugs, said Ms Ruth Lopert, a professor at George Washington University. She said as many as 40,000 people in Vietnam, the poorest country in the agreement, could stop getting drugs to fight HIV because of provisions that will boost the price of therapy. AGENCIES

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