Institute's delegation participated in the work of the international conference in Bratislava on the protection of regional products
Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Merdžo and Deputy Director Zdravko Kašiković participated in the work of the international conference in Bratislava on the protection of regional products through indications of geographical origin and brands, held on 3 and 4 September 2026, organized by the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic (IPO SR) in cooperation with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The international conference entitled "Origin Matters 2026: Protecting Regional Products through Geographical Indications and Brands" focused on the protection and development of regional products through intellectual property tools, especially geographical indications.
The participants of the conference emphasized the importance of regional brands for economic and regional development, support for local producers and the preservation of traditional products related to certain geographical areas. At the beginning of the conference, the participants of the conference were addressed by the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini.
Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Merdžo held a presentation within the session entitled "National and International Experiences in Supporting Regional Products and Geographical Indications".
Director Merdžo reminded of the significant progress that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made in the harmonization of legislation in the field of intellectual property with the EU's acquis communautaire but also pointed out how important it is that harmonization with European standards does not remain only an administrative obligation of the state, but turns into a concrete benefit for entrepreneurs and producers.
„If producers do not ultimately gain better protection, greater market value, and improved market access, then we have not fully utilized the potential of European cooperation “, emphasized Director Merdžo, stating that Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region have a large number of products which possess something that is difficult to create today: authenticity, tradition and a strong connection with a certain geographical area.
The conference brought together experts from European institutions, national industrial property offices, manufacturers of regional products, representatives of local and regional authorities, the tourism sector and the professional community.
