As of today, January 01, 2007, Romania and Bulgaria have acceded to the EU. This means, in particular, that both countries are now covered by the EU Community Trade Mark.
Germany has taken over EU Presidency for the first half of 2007. It is expected that the German Government will focus during its term, inter alia, on Intellectual Property matters[emphasis added, --AHH]:
"[...] [T]he Presidency will strive to improve the European patent system, particularly by making progress with the uniform patent dispute resolution system called for by the European business community. [...]
Technological and applied research must be strengthened if Europe is to become more innovative. This requires us to combine the existing potential in universities, other research institutions and enterprises more effectively.
Improvement in the use of research findings and prevention of an unchecked drain on knowhow are both becoming increasingly crucial issues in the face of global competition. The German Presidency plans to launch an initiative for a charter on the handling of intellectual property at public research institutions and universities and thus help improve cooperation between these institutions and the business sector. [...]
Europe's citizens must be able to move within a secure and predictable legal framework when they travel to or settle in other Member States. This requires measures ranging from improved cross-border enforcement of maintenance orders, through clear regulations on which law applies in the case of divorce, better protection of intellectual property, up to improving consumer protection. Germany, together with the subsequent Presidencies Portugal and Slovenia, will therefore take up the proposals on the applicable law in maintenance, divorce and inheritance matters and seek to bring them to a conclusion. The German Presidency plans to drive forward as far as possible the work on a regulation on applicable law in matters of contractual obligation, and finalize the parallel regulation on applicable law in matters of noncontractual obligations, e.g. in road traffic accidents. [...]
The German Presidency will press for the strengthening of transatlantic relations on the political and economic stage. One summit with the United States and one with Canada will be held. The intensified dialogue and cooperation with the United States will centre around selected topics such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the fight against terrorism and energy security. Germany will aim to reach an agreement on cooperation between the EU and the United States in the area of civilian crisis management. The implementation of the Transatlantic Economic Initiative will focus on regulatory cooperation, innovation and technology, trade and security, capital markets, energy and the protection of intellectual property.
The Presidency will continue to develop the political and economic dimension of relations with Asia. The negotiations on a framework agreement between the EU and China are to be brought forward in this context. In extending economic relations, the Presidency will concentrate on the voluntary transfer of technology, improving legal certainty for the protection of intellectual property, opening the Chinese markets more widely for services and removing distortions of competition in the field of raw materials.
[...]
The German Presidency will take a decisive stand against anticompetitive behaviour and unfair trading practices such as dumping, illegal subsidies, the violation of intellectual property rights and forced technology transfer. The second phase of the EU initiative on the enforcement of intellectual property rights and the open revision of certain trade policy mechanisms (e.g. trade protection instruments and public procurement) must be driven forward. [...]"
On March 29 and 30, 2007, a Conference on Patent Law will be organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice, Berlin.
The ninth Edition of the Nice Classification of goods and services for trade marks, published in June 2006, has entered into force today.
Romania and Bulgaria have acceded to the EU. This means, in particular, that both countries are now covered by the EU Community Trade Mark.