EUIPO strengthens IP cooperation at key stakeholder event
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in cooperation with the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), organised the EU4IP Stakeholder Event on 17 and 18 March 2026 at the EUIPO’s headquarters in Alicante, Spain.
The event was held in the context of the EU-funded EU4IP project ‘Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights in Enlargement and Neighbourhood’. The high-level meeting brought together senior officials and delegates from the IP systems in Armenia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, including the Heads of the Armenian Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI) and the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO), as well as representatives of the European Commission, including DG ENEST.
A key highlight of the event was the signature of bilateral cooperation agreements, reinforcing the long-term collaboration between the EUIPO and these partner offices. These include memoranda of understanding with the AIPO and the AGEPI, as well as the endorsement of a joint implementation roadmap for 2026-2027 with the UANIPIO, aligned with the EUIPO’s Strategic Plan 2030.
The programme for the event focused on advancing cooperation in priority areas, particularly legislative alignment with the EU acquis, institutional capacity-building under IP alliances on business value, people and technology to adopt European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) practices and strengthening IP enforcement cooperation and engagement with the private sector through IP awareness and learning initiatives. Dedicated sessions allowed the partner offices to present lessons learned and national priorities for the second half of the EU4IP project, fostering policy dialogue and a practical exchange of ideas on how the IP systems in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood area might be strengthened. The participants had the opportunity to visit the EUIPO’s facilities where innovative IP administration cases were shared with them. They also visited a local geographical indication site, which helped underline the role of IP in preserving cultural heritage and supporting local economies.
The event further contributed to the objectives of the EU4IP project by supporting legal reforms, reinforcing institutional capacity building and facilitating structured dialogue between DG ENEST, DG GROW, the EUIPO and the IP community from Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine. In this context, EU4IP supports the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood countries in aligning their legislation with Chapter 7 of the EU acquis (on intellectual property law), while facilitating the implementation of the IP provisions of the EU through the Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.
Through the mobilisation of expertise across the EUIPN in a ‘Team Europe’ approach, the EUIPO continues to promote high-quality IP administration, strengthen enforcement practices and raise public awareness, contributing to a more predictable and innovation-friendly business environment across the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood area.