In 2014, Georgia and the European Union established a preferential trade regime by signing an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. It builds a foundation for Georgian political association and economic integration with the EU, and allows both partners to trade freely with each other. The Agreement includes a chapter devoted to intellectual property rights (IPRs).
In order to achieve the objective of the IPR chapter, the EU-Georgia Intellectual Property Project (EUGIPP) puts IPRs at the forefront as per Georgia's economic development agenda. The overall objective of the EUGIPP is to support Georgian authorities in their efforts to approximate to European standards and be able to integrate into the global economy by stimulating economic development and market opportunities. Georgia and the European Union cooperate on the following priorities:
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Ensuring a high level of protection of IP rights;
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Strengthening the enforcement capacity of Georgia public administration and the judicial system;
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Supporting the National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia ‘Sakpatenti;
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Raising public awareness in intellectual property matters;
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Fighting against counterfeiting and piracy.
For more information, see the 2017-2020 EU-Georgia Association Agenda
EU-Georgia Intellectual Property Project (EUGIPP) is an EU-funded international cooperation project implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It has an initial duration of 36 months starting from 1 January 2020.