On 21 February 2001, the Commission adopted a communication to the European Parliament and to the Council on accelerated action targeted at major communicable diseases within the context of poverty reduction, according to which the Commission was instructed, inter alia, to establish a global tiered pricing system for key pharmaceuticals for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and related diseases for the poorest developing countries and to prevent product diversion of these products to other markets by ensuring that effective safeguards were in place.

(1) On 21 February 2001, the Commission adopted a communication to the European Parliament and to the Council on accelerated action targeted at major communicable diseases within the context of poverty reduction, according to which the Commission was instructed, inter alia, to establish a global tiered pricing system for key pharmaceuticals for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and related diseases for the poorest developing countries and to prevent product diversion of these products to other markets by ensuring that effective safeguards were in place.

In November 2002, the UK High Level Working Group on Access to Medicines, in which the Commission took part, presented a set of recommendations to support specific action on the RD agenda, and to facilitate a voluntary system of widespread tiered pricing as the operational norm.

While fully respecting the Member States’ competencies, support the exchange of information between Member States on prices, pricing policies and economic factors determining the availability of medicinal products as well as, where appropriate, medical devices, with particular attention being paid to orphan medicinal products and small markets as they are particularly vulnerable to deferred or missed market launches, supply shortages and obstacles to achieving affordable prices of medicinal products.

TAKES NOTE of the cooperation within the Network of Competent Authorities for Pricing and Reimbursement as well as the initiatives for exchange of information and collaboration in the field of pricing and reimbursement facilitated by the European Commission between the competent national authorities and all relevant stakeholders, which may facilitate, inter alia, cost-containment, pharmaceutical innovation and patients’ access to medicines.

Options to further improve access and affordability include: exploration of the use of differential pricing (tiered pricing), voluntary licensing agreements, parallel trading, technology transfer and increase in local capacity for production, use of both generic and patented products and review of tariff and taxation options at country level.