European lawmakers will seek stronger protection for trade secrets of pharmaceutical companies in talks with EU ministers on new compulsory licensing legislation after a plenary vote on their negotiating mandate held this week. New rules were proposed by the European Commission in April to give the bloc a single instrument for compulsory licensing. Negotiations to approve the final legislative text will start once EU ministers will finalise their own amendments to the commission’s proposal. Governments may grant compulsory licenses in exceptional circumstances allowing use of protected inventi…