69. The Chair also informed the Council that two new requests for consultations relating to provisions of the TRIPS Agreement had been notified. First, by means of a communication dated 19 December 1997, the European Communities and their member States had notified to the DSB a request for consultations under the DSU with the Government of Canada regarding patent protection of pharmaceutical products (document IP/D/11). Australia, Switzerland and the United States had requested to be joined in these consultations (documents WT/DS114/2-4). Second, by means of a communication dated 6 January 1998, the United States had notified to the DSB a request for consultations under the DSU with the European Communities regarding measures in Ireland affecting the grant of copyright and neighbouring rights (document IP/D/12).
