Institute's delegation participated in the work of the inaugural session of the CEFTA Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Rights

Main function of the Subcommittee is the coordination and cooperation of CEFTA members in all issues related to intellectual property rights
Institute's delegation participated in the work of the inaugural session of the CEFTA Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Rights

Delegation of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina, consisting of Director Josip Merdžo and Assistant Director for Intellectual Property System Development Vesna Vuletić Bebek, participated in the work of the inaugural session of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Rights of CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement), held under the chairmanship of Montenegro, on October 14 in Budva.

Main function of the Subcommittee is the coordination and cooperation of CEFTA members in all matters related to intellectual property rights, with the aim of removing trade barriers, especially in the context of regional integration and accession to the European Union (EU). Likewise, the task of the Subcommittee is to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices in the protection of intellectual property and the enforcement of IP rights among the Parties to CEFTA.

At the meeting, the rules governing the work of the Subcommittee were presented, as well as the work program of the Subcommittee, the Decision of the CEFTA Joint Committee on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the Joint Regional Market Action Plan 2025-2028.

Representatives of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) presented the upcoming activities of the Office and support projects funded by EU funds in the field of intellectual property rights, and held an expert lecture: Challenges in the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age – EUIPO's Perspective.

The CEFTA SubCommittee will work on the regulatory framework for intellectual property by conducting comparative analyses to assess the degree of compliance with European Union intellectual property law and foster integration into the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) through the exchange of knowledge and the adoption of best practices.

The Subcommittee consists of representatives of CEFTA members: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Former members of the Central European Free Trade Agreement are Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. These countries are no longer members because they have joined the European Union.