IP Key China together with the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (MOARA) , the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (SGFA) and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) organised a training to four Chinese experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Development Center of Science and Technology (MOA-DCST), on 25 to 29 of June.

IP Key SEA is commissioning a study on accountable controls and supervision mechanisms to guarantee an efficient and reliable implementation and enforcement of a geographical indications system in Vietnam. The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, expected to enter into force in the course of 2018, includes commitments in new areas to ensure enhanced protection of intellectual property rights such as geographical indications. The results of the study will be available in September 2018.

IP Key SEA is commissioning a study on accountable controls and supervision mechanisms to guarantee an efficient and reliable implementation and enforcement of a geographical indications system in Vietnam. The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, expected to enter into force in the course of 2018, includes commitments in new areas to ensure enhanced protection of intellectual property rights such as geographical indications. The results of the study will be available in September 2018.

Between 27th of May and 4th of June, a Chinese delegation composed of 12 officials of the Legislative Affairs Commission at the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress (LAC) participated in a Study Visit in Europe, organised by IP Key China. Different expert roundtables, workshops and peer-to-peer meetings were organized during the visits in Madrid, Prague and Rome.

IP Key Latin America, with the support of the Costa Rica Intellectual Property Register (RNPI), hosted a workshop in San José, Costa Rica, focused on EU-created IP tools. The activity is based on the experience of the European Union Intellectual Property Network –which promoted the adoption of common practices and the development and deployment of technological tools that improve the functioning of IP offices and provide easy access to information on trademarks and designs.  

The 8th EU-China IPR Working Group Meeting took place in Shanghai from 5th- 8th June. The meeting in the context of the Action Plan 2018-2020 concerning EU-China Customs Cooperation aims at enhancing IPR enforcement activities of customs, and supporting practical cooperation on IPR enforcement between the authorities at local level in the EU and China.

Between 27th of May and 4th of June, a Chinese delegation composed of 12 officials of the Legislative Affairs Commission at the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress (LAC) participated in a Study Visit in Europe, organised by IP Key China. Different expert roundtables, workshops and peer-to-peer meetings were organized during the visits in Madrid, Prague and Rome.

As part of the activities planned for 2018, IP Key LA organises a series of workshops on EU-created IP tools. The beneficiaries will be IP Offices from Central and South America that have already manifested interest and technical feasibility for integration of such tools.

Between the 14th and 16th of May, Ricardo Ferreira, deputy project leader, participated in a series of workshops related to the protection of brands and designs. These were organized by the IP Key, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) and the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, O.A. (OEPM).