Directorate-General for Trade

Intellectual property

Protection and enforcement of intellectual property are crucial for the EU's ability to compete in the global economy

Because European competitiveness is built on the innovation and value added to products by high levels of creativity, protection and enforcement of intellectual property go to the heart of the EU's ability to compete in the global economy. EU growth and jobs are hampered when our ideas, brands and products are pirated and counterfeited, whether by our competitors or by organised crime.  Moreover, counterfeit products often place our citizens' safety or health at risk.

So intellectual property rights ("IP rights") such as patents, trade marks, designs, copyrights or geographical indications are becoming increasingly important for European inventors, creators and businesses. These rights enable them to prevent unauthorised exploitation of their creations and distinctive signs - or to allow such exploitation in return for compensation.

• Other benefits of IP rights

One of the EU's objectives is to see such standards respected by third countries.  This objective is being pursued in different ways:

• The EU works in the WTO to improve respect for IP rights and was a key supporter of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs)
• The EU negotiates provisions on IP rights protection in its bilateral trade agreements and works closely at a technical level with its trading partners on IP issues.
• With the authorities of certain third countries, the EU conducts "political dialogues" on IP issues (usually involving European industry), and/or runs technical co-operation programmes intended to help enhance IPR system.
• The EU is also involved in the development of a new Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Supporting information

For more information, try a Document search on Intellectual property