Annual Work Plan 1: List of activities
R1 Legal and policy frameworks for IPR aligned with the EU acquis and international treaties compliance, removing barriers to trade in goods and services within CEFTA and with CEFTA and the EU, and facilitating participation in global protection systems..
1. Ad hoc activities and events
2. Support to legislative alignment with EU acquis in North Macedonia: legal comparative analysis and drafting law amendments/regulations on trade marks
3. Support to legislative alignment with EU acquis in North Macedonia: legal comparative analysis and drafting law amendments/regulations on patents
4. Support to drafting of implementing regulations and their application for designs in Albania
5. Support to drafting of implementing regulations and their application for geographical indications in Albania
6. Support for the harmonization of the Law on Indications of Geographical Origin with Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of GIs for craft and industrial products
7. Technical support and assessment of international law and practices
R2 Strengthened IP institutions, networks, with common practices and tools for a more efficient IP protection system boosting a regional harmonisation on trade related aspects.
8. Adoption of EUIPN common practices in the Western Balkans: development of examination guidelines and capacity building on trade mark registration and examination
9. Adoption of EUIPN common practices in the Western Balkans: development of examination guidelines and capacity building on industrial design registration and examination
10. Study and assessment of legislation and practices related to the functioning of Collective Rights Management (CRM)
11. Assessment and guidance on the convergence with EUIPN practices and standards
12. Train-the-trainer workshop on EUIPN flagship tools (TMview, DESIGNview)
13. Assessment and support for modernisation of IP IT systems in North Macedonia
14. Support to assessment of IT tools, including alignment with relevant EU practices and data standards
15. Technical exchanges on IT infrastructure and tools with Bosnia and Herzegovina
16. Support with classification and search tools for goods and services in Albania, including the translation
R3 Enhanced regional cooperation on IP within the Common Regional Market, instruments and priorities, focusing on the enforcement and fight against the trade of counterfeit goods and services.
17. Enhancing cooperation among judicial and IP enforcement stakeholders through participation in the 6th IP Case Law Conference
18. European Intellectual Property Prosecutors Network (EIPPN) workshop on enhancing investigation and prosecution of IP-related offences through practitioners’ exchange
19. Study visit to strengthen cooperation networks with EU Customs authorities on intellectual property enforcement at the border
20. Training on IP infringements and criminal liability for intellectual property rights violations
21. Study visit to enhance cooperation networks with EU market surveillance and inspectorate authorities on intellectual property enforcement in the internal market
22. Capacity building of a national coordination structure for IP enforcement
23. Regional capacity building event on intellectual property enforcement “IP enforcement summit for the WB+MD”, including on line IP infringements
24. Assessment of the organisational structure, staffing needs and operational capacity of the IP Office of Serbia
25. Regional study on the IP contribution to the economy of the WB
26. Participation in OECD enforcement capacity building event on governance in Free Trade Zones in the Western Balkans
R4 Increase support and strengthening capacities of business, especially focusing on SMEs to protect, administer, value, commercialise and enforce IPR and raising awareness and IP skills development among general public and especially youth and women.
27. Support to geographical indication producers’ associations through participation in the OriGin international conference 2026 with a specific visit to GI in the Alicante region
28. Support to SME services and IP diagnostic tools in Serbia, including mentoring and exchange of best practices to strengthen SME use of IP
29. Support to SME services and IP diagnostic tools in BiH, including mentoring and exchange of best practices to strengthen SME use of IP
30. Exploration of IP valuation mechanisms to support access to finance for SMEs
31. Capacity-building initiative to support the next generation of IP experts
32. Support to Media Literacy Week and IP awareness activities in North Macedonia
33. Support to integration and further development of IP education in Albania, including cooperation with educational institutions and use of IP learning materials
34. Support to the implementation of targeted IP awareness campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina
35. Regional Outreach Programme on IP for Creative Industries in WB6 and Moldova
