<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><b class=""><i class="">Folks in the DC area — Please turn out to Thursday morning’s event and help spread the word!</i></b><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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<div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/june-24-protest-and-presser-eu-quit-being-big-pharmas-puppet/" style="color: blue;" class="">https://www.citizen.org/news/june-24-protest-and-presser-eu-quit-being-big-pharmas-puppet/</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2021</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.399999618530273px;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">CONTACT: </span><a href="mailto:KParrish@citizen.org" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">KParrish@citizen.org</span></a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 15.399999618530273px;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">MEDIA ADVISORY<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""> </b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">June 24 Protest and Presser<i class="">: </i>EU, Quit Being Big Pharma’s Puppet<i class=""><u class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></u></i></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">EU Must End Its Outrageous Opposition to the WTO COVID-19 Waiver to Save Lives and End the Pandemic</span></i><i class=""><span style="font-size: 13pt;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -40.5pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WHAT: Members of Congress and principals from U.S. health, development and labor organizations, and activists will call on the European Commission to end its dangerous opposition to the COVID-19 emergency waiver of WTO intellectual property barriers so more vaccines and treatments can be produced worldwide.<i class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -40.5pt;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: -40.5pt;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">The protest will urge the EU to stop blocking the 130+ WTO countries trying to secure the waiver and instead engage in good-faith negotiations to achieve a comprehensive TRIPS waiver quickly so that greater supplies of vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests can be produced in as many countries as possible, as quickly as possible, to end the global pandemic.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WHO: <a name="_Hlk69974991" class=""> <b class="">U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky</b> (D-Ill.)<o:p class=""></o:p></a></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> (D-Calif.)<b class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">U.S. Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">(D-Ill.)</span><b class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Sara Nelson</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, President<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Abby Maxman</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">,<b class=""> </b>Oxfam America, President<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Paul O’Brien</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, Amnesty International USA, Executive Director<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Pauline Muchina</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, American Friends Service Committee, Public Education & Advocacy Coordinator (PEAC) for the Africa region<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Rev. Amy Reumann</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">,</span><b class=""> </b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Director of Advocacy</span><b class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Lori Wallach</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, Public Citizen, Director of Global Trade Watch<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 40.5pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">Emcee: Mathew Rose</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, Health GAP (Global Access Project), Director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy</span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WHERE: Headquarters of the Delegation of the European Union</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">2175 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20037</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WHEN: Thursday, June 24 at 10 a.m. E.T.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">VISUALS: <b class="">Large Angela Merkel puppet</b> that will try to call the shots for the whole EU on limiting global COVID shots…<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""><img border="0" id="_x0031_73F0932-5504-45D5-BE97-ADE8265924F7" apple-inline="yes" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D7682F.2C50BF80" class=""></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a name="_Hlk69913577" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">BACKGROUND: </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">At the G-7 Summit, European Union officials and those of Germany, the UK and other nations proclaimed their unity with the U.S. Yet on one of the most critical issues facing the world – ending the COVID-19 pandemic – the EU, Germany and UK alone are opposing not just the U.S., but the entire world, by stopping a critical public health initiative the world demands. The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) requires countries to provide lengthy monopoly protections for medicines, tests and technologies used to produce them. While there is potential production capacity in every region of the world, WTO rules block timely, unfettered access to the technology needed to boost manufacturing potential. Unless much greater volumes are made, many people in developing nations may not get COVID-19 vaccines until 2024.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">After the U.S. and more than 120 other countries announced support for a temporary waiver of WTO-required IP barriers, text-based negotiations are finally underway. Germany has vehemently opposed the waiver, pitting the EU against the rest of the world at the WTO. With the UK and Switzerland hiding behind EU waiver opposition, these few WTO members are still doing all they can to undermine the waiver, including a recently submission intended to delay and distract from waiver talk by reiterating support for the very WTO rules that are blocking more production worldwide. The European Commission’s support for “more-of-the-same” reliance on Big Pharma to somehow close the massive gap between supply and the 10-15 billion doses needed has proved to be a failure. That’s why Germany, the European Commission and the UK are isolated as the emergency COVID WTO waiver gains ever more support, including recent support from </span><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-backs-waiving-covid-19-vaccine-patents-ahead-of-g7-summit/" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">France</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, the </span><a href="https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/spno_e/spno9_e.htm" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WTO Director General</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, the </span><a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2021-0306-AM-008-016_EN.pdf" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">European Parliament</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, the </span><a href="https://insidetrade.com/daily-news/apec-trade-ministers-back-trips-waiver-commit-speeding-vaccine-flow" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">nations of APEC</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, a </span><a href="https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/members-congress-led-push-trips-waiver-applaud-biden-administration" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">majority of congressional Democrats</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">; the </span><a href="https://healthpolicy-watch.news/who-welcomes-un-security-council-resolution/" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">WHO Director General</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, </span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/43fd53f5-2b82-4e41-981c-8544a6ce996b" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">170-plus former heads of state and Nobel laureates</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">, </span><a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/hundreds-of-prominent-us-civil-society-organizations-call-on-pres-biden-to-stop-blocking-covid-19-wto-waiver-to-boost-vaccines-treatments-worldwide/" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">400+ U.S. civil society organizations</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class=""> and </span><a href="https://www.twn.my/announcement/signonletter/CSOLetter_SupportingWaiverFinal.pdf" style="color: blue;" class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">400+ NGOs around the world</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" class="">.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class="">###</div></div></body></html>