Launch of the EU4IP project in Chișinău to strengthen intellectual property rights in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
Between 25 and 26 March an EU delegation led by João Negrão, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), visited Chișinău, Moldova.
The focus of the visit regarded the launch of the newest EU-funded cooperation project on intellectual property (IP) matters, EU4IP, implemented by the EUIPO in partnership with the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (Sakpatenti), the State Agency on Intellectual Property of Moldova (AGEPI) and the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO).
EU4IP will support Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in strengthening their national IP landscapes and facilitating the alignment of their IP legal and administrative frameworks with EU systems as they work towards EU accession.
On 25 March, the EU4IP project was inaugurated at a launch event by the State Secretary for European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Ms Rodica Crudu, the EU Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Mr Jānis Mažeiks, and the Executive Director of the EUIPO, together with the Chairperson of Sakpatenti, Mr. Soso Giorgadze, the Director General of AGEPI, Mr. Eugeniu Rusu, and the Director of UANIPIO, Ms. Olena Orliuk.
The conference gathered high-level representatives from the beneficiary countries, the EUIPO, the EU Delegation to Moldova, and the European national IP offices of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania in a Team Europe approach.
That same day the EU delegation also met with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mihai Popusoi, as well as with other senior government officials of the Georgian, Moldovan and Ukrainian government.
On 26 March, meetings took place with the Moldovan Parliament, as well as with the State Agency on Intellectual Property of Moldova (AGEPI) to sign the biennial Work Plan 2024-2025.
The delegation also met with the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM) to sign three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in the framework of the Pan-European Seal (PES) programme between the EUIPO and ASEM, the Tbilisi State University, and the Georgian Technical University. The three academic institutions are the first from outside the EU and the European Patent Convention (EPC) to collaborate with the EUIPO in the PES programme.
EU4IP has an initial duration of 48 months, starting from 1 January 2024, and has a total budget of EUR 4 million provided by the European Union, including the EUIPO.