ECTA recently took part in a number of online meetings with relevant DGs of the European Commission (DG GROW, DG TRADE, DG AGRI) and the Permanent Representation of France in the EU to discuss most important topics of the IP agenda in Europe at this moment, including:

• Support for SMEs;
• Design Reform;
• EU anti-counterfeiting toolbox;
• Geographical indication protection for non-agricultural products at EU level;
• Other topics of interest to our members, their work and the projects ongoing within the ECTA Committees.

The meetings were attended by the ECTA Board of Directors (President, Anette Rasmussen; First Vice-President, Mladen Vukmir; Second Vice-President, Carina Gommers; Secretary General, Carolin Kind; Treasurer, Jordi Güell) and ECTA Head of Legal Affairs (Anna Ostanina).

Some of the meetings were also supported by representatives from our specialised ECTA Committees, such as the Geographical Indications Committee Chair (Paola Ruggiero) and International Trade Committee Chair (Renate Pouw).

Maintaining direct contact and open dialogue with our colleagues within the European Commission, Parliament, Council, EUIPO, WIPO and other institutions is highly important to ECTA and is an integral part in our pursuit of the balance of IP rights.