On 20 May 2026, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), together with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), officially launched the EU4IP – Western Balkans (EU4IP-WB) project in order to support the Western Balkan partners and the Republic of Moldova in advancing their EU accession process by strengthening their intellectual property systems.
The initiative will focus on alignment with the EU acquis in the field of intellectual property, capacity building, intellectual property rights enforcement, and raising awareness of the importance of intellectual property among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and young people.
EU4IP-WB builds on the existing EU4IP project in Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine, drawing on EUIPO’s long-standing experience in the successful implementation of EU-funded intellectual property projects around the world, together with the specialised European Union Intellectual Property Network, intellectual property experts and advanced digital tools.
The official launch event for the EU4IP-WB project was held on 20 May at EUIPO headquarters in Alicante, Spain, in the presence of high-level representatives of the European Commission, EUIPO, and intellectual property institutions from the Western Balkan countries and the Republic of Moldova.
EUIPO Executive Director Mr João Negrão stated: “A stronger intellectual property system is the foundation of a more innovative and prosperous society. The launch of the EU4IP-WB project for the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova reflects our shared commitment to building that foundation — delivering real and tangible benefits to industry, users, the business sector and society.”
The Director of the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Vladimir Marić, stated: “Never in history has the world been so interconnected, nor have common sense, goodwill and joint efforts been more important than they are today. Through activities aimed at strengthening institutions, improving IT tools and enhancing support services for small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of intellectual property, the EU4IP-WB project represents a strategic investment in innovation, creativity, economic growth and regional cooperation.”
Through the EU4IP-WB project, intellectual property authorities will receive strong support in order to enable businesses, creators, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprises, and young innovators throughout the region to benefit from more reliable, fairer and more efficient intellectual property frameworks, which will help them protect their assets for growth in the domestic market and access to the wider European and international market.
This project will contribute to the broader efforts of the European Union aimed at fostering economic growth, promoting economic integration with the EU internal market, as well as regional integration and cooperation, in line with the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and the Action Plan for the Common Regional Market (CRM). The project will enable the introduction and implementation of more harmonised intellectual property rules and practices, which will facilitate trade both within the Western Balkans and between the region and the EU.
The Western Balkans component of EU4IP-WB is co-financed by the European Commission and EUIPO, and the project will last for three years, starting in January 2026. As the implementing agency for the project, EUIPO will work closely with intellectual property offices, public administrations, enforcement authorities, the CEFTA Secretariat and other stakeholders on modernising services, simplifying procedures and strengthening fair and efficient intellectual property protection for innovators and businesses in preparation for EU accession.
