Council of Europe

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INTRODUCTION

The Council of Europe drafted a convention which constitutes, for the first time, a binding international instrument in the criminal law field on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME Convention).

The Council of Europe has long been concerned about the absence of harmonised international legislation, non-deterrent sanctions that were not proportionate to the harm caused to patients, and the involvement of criminal organisations which operate across borders.

Counterfeiting medical products and similar crimes threaten the right to life enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). Incidences of counterfeit medical products and similar crimes undermine public trust in healthcare systems and authorities' surveillance thereof.

Counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes have a global spread, no country is spared.

The Council of Europe sees it as a common responsibility for the global community to eradicate this phenomenon, and hence accession to the Medicrime Convention, which will be formally adopted later this year, will be open for all states interested in working with Council of Europe on this important goal.

Safeguarding of public health through penal measures against criminal behaviors, protection of victims, promotion of cooperation at national and international levels, and preventive measures are the overarching aims of the above convention.

The core values of the Council of Europe, a pan-European political organisation comprising 47 member states in Europe, are the protection of human rights and essential freedoms, the promotion of the rule of law and of pluralist democracies. The Organisation aims at identifying solutions for challenges faced by today's societies.