EUIPO hosts EIPPN workshop with dedicated session for Western Balkans prosecutors
On 10 and 11 September 2026, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) hosted at its premises in Alicante, Spain, the 13th annual workshop of the European Intellectual Property Prosecutors Network (EIPPN), organised together with the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust).
The workshop brought together prosecutors, judges, IP offices and enforcement agencies from the European Union and beyond to exchange best practices, analyse emerging trends and strengthen cooperation to tackle cross-border IP rights infringement.
Ahead of the annual EIPPN event, on 9 September, the EUIPO and Eurojust organised a dedicated workshop, Investigating and Prosecuting Intellectual Property Crime, for partners from the EU enlargement and neighbourhood regions. Prosecutors and investigators from the Western Balkans took part in the framework of the EU4IP-WB project, together with their counterparts from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia.
This dedicated workshop provided participants with an opportunity to exchange experience on the current landscape of IP crime in their respective jurisdictions and to explore practical approaches to investigating and prosecuting IP rights infringements. Discussions focused on common challenges in fighting counterfeiting and piracy, including assessing loss and gain in IP crime cases, while practical case studies examined IP-related fraud, trade secret theft and online infringements.
Following this preparatory workshop, participants joined the 13th EIPPN annual meeting, where they engaged with prosecutors from across the EU and other jurisdictions.
The EIPPN is an initiative of the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, which is hosted by the EUIPO. Through the Observatory, the EUIPO plays a leading role in supporting IP enforcement by fostering cooperation among prosecutors, judges and other enforcement authorities. The participation of prosecutors from the Western Balkans was supported through the EU4IP-WB project, reinforcing the project's objective of strengthening regional capacity and cooperation in the enforcement of intellectual property rights in line with the EU enlargement agenda.
