EUIPO Supports Ukraine in Preparing for EU IP Law Compliance
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) supports Ukraine's accession negotiations by assisting Ukrainian authorities prepare for the screening on the compliance of Ukrainian legislation with Chapter 7 of the EU acquis on Intellectual Property (IP) Law. Joining the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities, the EUIPO provided expertise during a mock session on 25-26 September 2024, which was a simulation of the bilateral meeting between Ukrainian negotiators and the European Commission (EC) scheduled for December this year.
The aim of the mock session was to prepare Ukraine to follow the rules and procedures required by the EC to ensure a smooth and seamless negotiation. The main Ukrainian institutions responsible for the bilateral screening are the Ministry of Economy and the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO). Other stakeholders involved in the mock session were the EUIPO, the European Patent Office, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and other ministries.
The EUIPO is facilitating the delivery of this valuable expertise in the context of the EU-funded IP cooperation project EU4IP, providing solid feedback to the various Ukrainian institutions on how to better approach the IP enlargement negotiations and ensure that the right message is conveyed to the EC.
Bilateral screenings are the first step in the accession negotiations and the first one with Ukraine took place from 8 to 9 July 2024. In them, the candidate country determines its level of alignment with EU legislation and outlines plans for further alignment. It is therefore crucial that the candidate country better understands the structure and format of the process, gets used to the appropriate terminology and familiarises itself with the way discussions are conducted.
This ad-hoc support from the EUIPO through the EU4IP project demonstrates the commitment to build an IP alliance and address the current needs of EU candidate countries, such as Ukraine. The EUIPO actively supports the Ukrainian authorities, including UANIPIO, in their efforts to align their IP system with the EU one which is aligned with the strategic objectives of the EUIPO. The goal is to promote stronger and more comprehensive protection and management of IP rights, while providing the necessary tools and experience to further align IP practices with those in Europe.