By Judit Lantos (ECTA representative in the ETMD EP Advisory Committee and ECTA Mediation Committee Chair, Lantos Law, Hungary)

We are pleased to inform ECTA members about the opening today of the new edition of the ETMD Education Programme organised by the EUIPO Academy for practitioners in EU trade mark and design law and practice.

Applications can be submitted until 31 May 2026 (inclusive). The programme runs from September 2026 to March 2027.

The EUIPO Trade Mark and Design Education Programmes (ETMD EP) for practitioners are tailored for IP professionals who, among other tasks, advise, assist, or represent clients or employers in EU trade mark and design matters. The programme provides in-depth legal and strategic training on EUIPO practice, ensuring participants can deliver expert advice aligned with the latest developments.

The programme has 2 options:

1. Instructor-led, partially onsite programme (limited to 60 participants, with exam)
The programme includes interactive courses delivered both online and on-site in Alicante, with a maximum of 60 participants.

It is an instructor-led, case-study-based learning programme, delivered partly onsite and subject to a tuition fee. Participants must pass an exam to obtain a certificate.

The programme has been running since 2018, with several hundred alumni to date. Beyond in-depth training in EU trade mark and design law and practice, it also offers valuable networking opportunities.

In this course you will learn about:

• The EUIPO and its online tools & services.
• The characteristics of European Union Trade Marks (EUTM) and EU Designs.
• The EUTM and EU design application processes, their respective requirements, key procedural matters, and be able to manage an application or renewal from start to finish.
• Opposition proceedings, and how to file, respond, and manage these types of procedures, while using the relevant EUIPO tools.
• Cancellation proceedings, their requirements and key aspects.
• Appeals, the role of the EUIPO Boards of Appeal, the procedural elements of an appeal and mediation.

2. IP short training sessions (open to up to 200 participants)

In addition to the full programme as described above, this year the programme has been extended to all IP professionals, maximum to 200 participants. It consists of short training sessions, and is designed to be followed independently. It is a fully online programme delivered, presentation-based learning, free of charge.

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We encourage ECTA members to participate in this programme.

ECTA is actively involved in the project, with various members serving on the Examination Boards of both the practitioners’ and paralegals’ programmes, as well as on the ETMD EP Advisory Committee.