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The European Union (EU) has proposed new laws to export cheaper anti-AIDS drugs to developing countries, the Associated Press news agency reported on Friday.
The legislation will allow poor nations facing public health crises to override patents on expensive drugs and order cheaper versions from generic manufacturers in other countries under a system known as "compulsory licensing".
Previously, governments could only issue compulsory licenses for use within their own countries and were banned from exporting to countries with no manufacturing capacity.
The new regulation is expected to be submitted for approval early next year. Development charity Oxfam welcomed the EU move, but warned against red tape that could slow down efforts to obtain cheap drugs in a health emergency.
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