Active work on the EU4IP “Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia” project implementation is ongoing.

At the end of June 2024, the first Project Steering Committee meeting was held with the participation of the European Commission (DG NEAR, DG GROW, DG CNECT, DG TRADE and DG AGRI), the European External Action Service (EEAS – EU Delegation to Georgia, EU Delegation to Moldova, EU Delegation to Ukraine), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), European Patent Office (EPO), Ukrainian IP Office (UANIPIO), National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti), State Agency on Intellectual Property of Moldova (AGEPI), Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as an observer. This meeting summarized the inception phase of the EU4IP project implementation and agreed on activities for the next 18 months.

The parties approved the EU4IP Overall Work Plan, which outlines the general strategy for the next four years, and the 1st Work Plan, which details the activities that will take place during the next 18 months of the project (from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025).

In particular, the following areas of cooperation will be prioritized for Ukraine in the near future:

• Support to legislative alignment with EU acquis in Ukraine: legal comparative analysis and drafting of law amendments/regulations on copyrights and related rights, trademarks, inventions, trade secrets and IPRs enforcement;
• Capacity building and knowledge expansion of the EU GIs legal framework and practice;
• Integration of IP administration tools (EUIPN search and classification databases) in the UANIPIO
• Ukrainian specialists’ participation in European intellectual property events;
• Study visits and awareness-raising events;
• Enhanced cooperation between the EUIPO Observatory and UANIPIO IPRs Infringement Monitoring Centre.

During the Steering Committee meeting, Bogdan Paduchak, First Deputy Director of the IP Office, emphasized: “Regional cooperation and networking is one of the key roles of the EU4IP program, which is especially important for the Ukrainian IP Office. Our cooperation with the EUIPO and EPO, regional and national IP offices is not only the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission and our European path, but also sincere friendship and cooperation, because strengthening ties has a positive impact on the entire sector and even gives us the strength to fight the aggressor.”

The expected results of the EU4IP project will significantly help Ukraine on its path to EU accession and membership, economic development, innovation capacity, and economic recovery.

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Strengthening intellectual property rights in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to support EU accession