The working meeting of the members of the Observatory on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRE Observatory) was held on December 21, this year, at the headquarters of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). The meeting brought together representatives of AGEPI, the General Police Inspectorate, the Competition Council, the Customs Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The meeting, chaired by Eugeniu Rusu, Director General of AGEPI and Chairman of the IPRE Observatory, was centered on discussions on the improvement of interinstitutional communication and the efficiency of the Information System dedicated to the protection of intellectual property objects. Among the topics addressed was the action plan of the IPRE Observatory for 2024. Another item on the agenda was dedicated to the National Report on the Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Republic of Moldova for 2023. The participants examined the structure, format, the deadlines for data submission and the content of this report, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in this area. Also, the topic of intellectual property rights enforcement was discussed in the context of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, with an emphasis on the protection of geographical indications and appellations of origin. During the dialogue, attention was also paid to the examination of the European Commission recommendation on developing normative acts to combat counterfeiting and piracy.

The meeting ended with the joint commitment to strengthen interinstitutional cooperation and intensify efforts to ensure a favorable environment for innovation and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Republic of Moldova.

The Observatory on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights has been active within AGEPI since 2011. The purpose of its creation was to ensure the exchange of information between the authorities responsible for monitoring the enforcement of intellectual property rights, and also to draw up reports, analytical and statistical studies in the field. At the same time, the Observatory performs the functions of the Notification Center of the World Trade Organization on the implementation of the TRIPs Agreement and is an effective means of promoting the activities carried out by various authorities and institutions involved in combating the infringement of intellectual property rights.