On March 28, the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) organized a videoconference with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Alongside of the AGEPI specialists in the event also participated the experts of the Technical Assistance Project “Support to Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Republic of Moldova”, financed by the European Union, the representatives of the Customs Service, the General Police Inspectorate and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

During the videoconference, the EUIPO representatives presented the instrument of the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights. Specialists from the Republic of Moldova had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the European Union Databases, administered by the EU Observatory, namely: EDB (Enforcement Database), ACIST (Anti-Counterfeiting Intelligence Support Tool) and AFA (an instrument for electronic submission of customs Applications for Action).

The European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights was set up by the European Commission in 2009 and entrusted to EUIPO in 2012 to facilitate and support the activities of national authorities, the private sector and the European Union institutions to combat infringements of intellectual property rights.

The videoconference took place in the context of application of the AGEPI-EUIPO Joint Working Plan, foreseen in the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation between the two Offices.

Since signing this Memorandum, July 2017, AGEPI and EUIPO have decided to extend their cooperation in the field of intellectual property to strengthen intellectual property systems and services by organizing joint actions, exchanging experience and implementing joint data integration projects in the field of trademarks and industrial design. The areas of cooperation include the organization of seminars or workshops, online training courses and participation in the training activities of each Office.