The Power of Intellectual Property in Driving Sustainable Development: The EU’s Efforts and Progress on World IP Day

Today marks World IP Day, a time to recognize the importance of intellectual property (IP) in advancing technologies critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide. This year’s focus on the SDGs highlights the significant impact of IP in guiding us towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

The European Union has made significant progress in strengthening IP protection and enhancing the single market since unveiling an ambitious IP action plan in November 2020. The implementation of the unitary patent system has been a major milestone in EU IP policy, harmonizing patent protection across EU countries. Additionally, the introduction of the ‘patent package’ in April 2023 includes proposals to improve transparency and efficiency in the patent framework.

Further efforts have been made to provide geographical indication (GI) protection for craft and industrial products throughout the EU. GIs help protect the authenticity of products by preserving names associated with specific regions, such as Herend porcelain (HU) and Donegal tweed (IE). By updating EU designs protection rules, the EU aims to encourage design innovation, competitiveness, and fair competition in the spare parts aftermarket.

The EU has also taken steps to intensify IP enforcement by recommending measures to combat counterfeiting through the EU toolbox against counterfeiting. This toolbox equips companies with the necessary tools to combat counterfeiting and protect their IP rights effectively.

On World IP Day, the EU reaffirms its commitment to supporting innovation and creativity as essential drivers of progress towards a sustainable and inclusive future for all.