TRIPS

HC Deb 18 March 2002 vol 382 cc86-7W

Norman Lamb

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the outcome of the last TRIPS Council meeting on 5 March. [43533]

Ms Hewitt

The TRIPS Council began work on the issues remitted to it at the Doha WTO Ministerial Conference in November last year. These include TRIPS and its relationship with public health, patentability of plants and animals, biodiversity, traditional knowledge, a review of the TRIPS Agreement and incentives for transfer of technology.

The TRIPS Council also began work on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications for wines and spirits for completion by the Fifth Ministerial Conference in 2003, as required by Ministers at Doha.