CARDS Project Management

CARDS Regional Intellectual Property Rights in the Western Balkans

Project Management

The Project is financed by the European Commission and is implemented by the European Patent Office (EPO) in co-operation with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). The Programme Management Unit (PMU) which is in charge of the overall administration of CARDS IPR is based at the EPO’s headquarter in Munich.

A Local Coordination Unit (LCU) assists with implementation of the Programme at the regional level in CARDS Countries.

CARDS Regional IPR is implemented on the basis of annual work plans which are drawn up with reference to the general three-year work plans. The work plans detailing activities to be implemented over a one-year period are prepared with input from discussions with respective CARDS countries during regional Coordination Meetings which take place twice per year in the Western Balkans.

Each national Intellectual Property Office in the Balkan Region has designated the CARDS contact person who is in charge of coordinating the implementation of the project activities.

Activities are carried out by experts from the Balkans and Europe, in the form of training, lecture, technical assistance, systems development (automation), provision of information tools, materials (CD ROM, video, interactive training tools) and data bases; high-level and working-group meeting, seminar, workshop, colloquium, symposium, and study visit to Europe.  

European Commission – Enlargement Directorate-General, D/04 Western Balkans Programmes

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

Programme Management Unit (PMU) in Munich

Local Coordination Unit (LCU) in Belgrade

The Local Co-ordination Unit (LCU) for the CARDS Regional Programme has regional responsibilities. Operational since September 2003, the LCU is located in Serbia and Montenegro and hosted by Ministry for International Economic Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro.

LCU Contact Details