On 12 February 2021, ECTA and EUIPO held a virtual Bilateral Meeting to discuss topics of mutual interest and importance for ECTA members, including EUIPO initiatives and projects and related ECTA contributions (e.g. EUIPO SME Programme, EUIPO Guidelines, SQAP, etc.), ongoing legislative reforms, recent case law, and other issues, such as the use of the EUIPO User Area, EUIPO tools and so on.

EUIPO delegation, composed of 17 officials, was headed by Executive Director Christian Archambeau, while ECTA was represented by its President Anette Rasmussen, Head of Legal Affairs Anna Ostanina and ECTA EUIPO-Link Committee members, namely Benjamin Fontaine, Monique Granneman, Cristina Bercial-Chaumier, Manuel Mínguez Balaguer, Seamus Doherty, Luis Soriano Albert, and Fabio Angelini.

ECTA is extremely grateful to the EUIPO for the willingness to discuss ways to improve the IP system and looks forward to further fruitful collaboration and continuation of the open dialogue we have established together over the past years.