10–12 February 2004: Patent Information Management, Belgrade

A seminar on Intellectual Property Rights in Europe took place in Belgrade today under the EC-funded CARDS Regional Programme on Intellectual Property Rights managed by the European Commission and operated by the European Patent Office.

The CARDS Regional Programme is intended to improve co-operation between the five CARDS countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and FYR Macedonia), and particularly between their intellectual property (IP) institutions. The aim is to enhance their technical ability to support and protect holders of industrial and IP rights at national level while at the same time harmonising IP legislation in compliance with the WTO TRIPS Agreement. The project is also intended to strengthen the enforcement of IP rights by judicial authorities, and to promote general awareness of IP rights, in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Process,  thereby helping the countries of the region to move towards harmonisation with the EU acquis communautaires.

Improved enforcement of IP rights is regarded as one of the key priorities for a functional market economy, which provides an enabling environment for innovation, growth, employment and global competitiveness in the region.

The main institutions involved in this project are those concerned with intellectual property, such as the Intellectual Property Office of Serbia and Montenegro.

Seminars and workshops on legal harmonisation, enhancing the capabilities of IP institutions and the promotion of general IP awareness are due to take place in the five countries over the next three years of the duration of the project. The total budget amounts to EUR 2.25m.

Initial comparative assessments will be conducted to determine the operational capabilities and development needs of national IP institutions, and also to evaluate the state of IP legislation and its implementation.