India protects pharma and agri interests at RCEP

India has managed to get 3 harmful provisions pertaining to pharmaceuticals and agriculture dropped out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. These provisions related to patent term extensions and data exclusivity. India took the lead role in arguing that they would impact public health and access to affordable medicines in developing countries by creating monopolies. It also held that the other provision relating to a tighter intellectual property (IP) regime on seed and planting materials be excluded from the proposed free trade agreement (RCEP). If adopted, these provisions would have led the farmers to lose the right to save or sell seeds or the harvested produce from plant varieties that have been granted intellectual property.