The European Parliament has approved today a directive of one of European Left Vice presidents, Marisa Matias, to control sales of counterfeit medicines, which are growing around 15% a year in Europe and widespread on the Internet.

"Falsified medicines are silent killers, either because they are devoid of effect or because they contain toxic substances that may harm, or even kill, those who take them. The absence of a legal framework encourages counterfeiting, an organized crime," said Marisa Matias, Left bloc Member of Parliament. The resolution was adopted with 569 votes in favour, 12 against and 7 abstentions.

An estimated that 1% of medicinal products currently sold to the European public through the legal supply chain are falsified and the share is growing. In other parts of the world, up to 30% of the medicines on sale may be fake. In particular, more and more innovative and life-saving drugs are counterfeit. In the EU, 50% of counterfeit drugs are sold over the Internet, so that the MEP considers that "it would be unthinkable and a danger to public health not to control the main gateway for fake drugs."

After the vote, Marisa Matias said some of the changes that the Left Block introduced to the Commission's original proposal were fundamental: “ One major change was the very legal basis of legislation, what started as a directive of the market, has become a health directive" she recalled.

The legislation that previously focused the control of the supply chain now includes sanctions. "If we define that lives are at risk by selling counterfeit drugs and this is a crime, there must be a sanction that allows the implementation of legislation," Matias defended, alleging that security has to come first: "On this planet there are citizens in first and second place. If we demand protection for patients in Europe, we also have to ensure that all patients will benefit from it".  

Since 2005, counterfeit drugs commerce rose by 400% and this type of counterfeiting has been very profitable for organized criminal networks who gain 45 billion euros per year.