bilaterals.org

Jeju produce under threat by FTA

2012-02-24 05:05:36

Mandarin farmers should be worried over KORUS FTA, says JNU professor

Arias government knew how the Constitutional Court would vote on the FTA

2011-03-03 02:28:00

The government of Oscar Arias knew, in advance, when and how the Constitutional Court would vote on the bill to implement CAFTA, after being challenged in a first review by the judges, according to Wikileaks

Notes on the Association Agreements with the European Union

2010-05-17 06:32:38

The EU proposes that the parties be empowered to collaborate on the practical implementation of domestic rules regulating access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices on their territories, so as to guarantee compliance with those provisions. This is a case of interference with national sovereignty, unquestionably for the benefit of European pharmaceutical corporations.

Biodiversity in the FTAs with the USA and Europe: the crisis of the Andean integration process

2010-05-17 06:13:12

While the Andean countries initially called for a balance to be struck between IPRs and the Andean countries' interests – in particular education, culture, research, access to medicines, public health, food security, environmental protection, access to information, and technology transfer – Europe has insisted on measures to further entrench the intellectual property protection aspects of regional integration.

EU: Negotiations between the EU, Central America and the Andean countries concerning patents

2009-12-12 23:09:57

According to Latin American trade unions and organisations, patenting has had devastating consequences for biological diversity in several Latin American countries. Yet neither the patent rules proposed in the association agreement between the EU and Central America nor the bilateral trade negotiations taking place between the EU and Colombia and Peru have taken account of such criticism.

FTAs could hurt farmers, too

2009-12-11 08:17:00

After generic drugmakers, it's the farmers who are feeling the heat of the intellectual property (IP) regime.

Thai rice gene patent 'sends wrong signal'

2009-07-08 14:05:22

The recent patenting of a Thai rice gene will pave the way for overseas firms to obtain copyrights of Thai biological and genetic resources, intellectual property rights experts and farmer advocates warn.

Peru: Amazonian indigenous people rise up

2009-05-03 23:51:45

“Since April 9, an uprising has been occurring in the Peruvian countryside involving the Amazonian indigenous peoples from 1350 communities and a diversity of ethnicities”, said legendary peasant leader, Hugo Blanco in an important message. A translation of Blanco's appeal for solidarity with this so-far mostly unreported struggle is printed below.

EU-Central America Association Agreement: Rejection by social movements of EU FTAs

2009-04-12 22:13:34

With Nicaragua leaving the negotiation table, the 7th round of negotiations between the EU and Central America has been suspended. With this, the aggressive policies of he EU have been brought to a halt for the time being.

FTAs facilitates biopiracy: The case of Peru

2009-02-25 02:46:55

The United States has done it, and done it again. As part of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Peru, the US has managed to wrest an amendment in the existing Intellectual Property laws that virtually 'facilitates biopiracy and hamper Peru's position as a protector of traditional knowledge,' reports SciDev.net

EU-ASEAN proposals on intellectual property too sweeping, say consumers

2009-02-23 03:38:54

The proposed EU-Asean free trade policy on intellectual property rights protection is too sweeping, says a consumer group.

Asean urged to reject EU piracy pact

2009-02-23 03:36:30

A consumers' group on Saturday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to turn down the EU-Asean free trade policy on intellectual property rights protection which, if ratified, could affect the Asean agriculture, biodiversity and public health access.

Revised laws 'could promote biopiracy' in Peru

2009-02-21 00:39:04

Modifications to intellectual property laws that the Peruvian government "rushed through" to enable the go-ahead of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Peru and the United States could facilitate biopiracy and hamper Peru's position as a protector of traditional knowledge, say experts.

Undercutting Africa

2009-02-03 00:01:02

Why EPAs threaten the world's forests and forest peoples

Intellectual property in free trade agreements

2008-12-10 06:26:57

FTAs often include intellectual property protection that is stronger than the World Trade Organisation requires (known as ‘TRIPS-plus' protection). This book highlights the likely effects on developing countries of agreeing to these TRIPS-plus provisions, particularly those in US FTAs.

Opinion of the Office of the Ombudsperson of Costa Rica on the Budapest Treaty

2008-09-17 02:47:03

The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the purposes of patent procedure is not in line with the norms and ethical principles of Costa Rica. Civil society, the scientific community and the different congregations should have had a more broad discussion on this Treaty including its ethical, environmental, social, economic and legal implications. Unfortunately, this did not happen and the decision to vote the US-DR-CAFTA, with its obligation for Costa Rica to accede to the Budapest Treaty, at referendum was not taken with a generalized prior informed consent.

Costa Rica top court blocks US trade pact approval

2008-09-12 05:40:31

Costa Rica's highest court on Thursday overturned an intellectual property law demanded by the US prior to the enactment of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The Constitutional Court ruled that lawmakers improperly passed the bill — which included provisions on biodiversity — without consulting Indian groups.

Bolivia: Two years of 'post-neoliberal' Indigenous nationalism — a balance sheet

2008-09-01 03:38:44

The right laments the "isolation" of the Bolivian economy from the global currents of trade because it has put three crosses against the free trade agreement with the United States and there isn't the will to take part in an agreement with the European Union, the "biggest markets on the planet".

Blow to the intellectual property rules of the Andean Community

2008-08-15 23:34:01

In the early hours of Thursday, representatives of the governments of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru agreed to let Peru legislate intellectual property on its own to accommodate its Free Trade Agreement with United States, on the margins of Decision 486 of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN). Bolivia voted against this move in order to preserve the principles and foundations of the CAN.

Intellectual property in the EPA: broad scope, huge impact - Part III

2008-07-23 07:40:31

Article 149 requires the EC Party and the Signatory CARIFORUM states to provide for the protection of plant varieties in accordance with the TRIPS Agreement and to consider, in this connection, accession to UPOV, 1991.