The representatives of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), with the support of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova, made from June 12 to 16, 2023, an information and documentation visit to Chisinau in the field of intellectual property.

The main goal was to explore and discuss the current state of use, management and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Republic of Moldova, especially the part related to geographical indications, trademarks and the innovation ecosystem.

During the visit, the IPI delegation, the public institution of the Swiss Confederation responsible for patents, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs and copyrights, had meetings and discussions with representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), as well as with other relevant institutions in this field, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development, the National Office of Vine and Wine and the National Agency for Research and Development.

Ms. Olga Allemann and Ms. Alexandra Nightingale, representatives of IPI, informed colleagues from AGEPI, as well as other representatives of public institutions, about the possibility of supporting the implementation in the Republic of Moldova of cooperation projects in the field of intellectual property, especially in the field of geographical indications, through the Global Program for Intellectual Property Rights (GPIPR) funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The Deputy Director General of AGEPI, Mrs. Natalia Mogol, confirmed the institution’s openness to any initiatives that come to develop the intellectual property system in our country and support local producers in developing their businesses, and announced the availability of AGEPI specialists to contribute to the realization of all activities proposed for realization within the cooperation project to be launched in the near future, following this documentation visit.

Also, during the visit, the IPI delegation had the opportunity to visit local producers of products with geographical indications from the Republic of Moldova, namely Ms. Ludmila Castravet, the Union of Legal Entities “Association of Small Producers and Processors of Fruits and Bacciferous Plants from the Center Area”, Criuleni and Mr. Viorel Prisacaru, PRISVIO S.R.L., village of Slobozia-Magura, Sangerei district. These visits allowed the evaluation of production processes and the identification of potential opportunities and challenges regarding the protection and promotion of these products domestically and internationally.

In addition, the Swiss experts had an exchange of information and perspectives with the members of the Observatory on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (Competition Council, Agency for Courts Administration, State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection, Customs Service, Prosecutor General’s Office, etc.) identifying the main challenges faced by each institution in the part related to IP rights enforcement in the Republic of Moldova and, at the same time, the possible assistance measures in overcoming these challenges were established.

This information and documentation visit is an important step in strengthening Moldovan-Swiss relations in the field of intellectual property. Through the exchange of knowledge and experience, the premises are created for the further improvement and development of legislation and practices in the field of intellectual property in the Republic of Moldova, in accordance with international standards and good practices of the Swiss Confederation