China takes further action to promote IPR cooperation with EU (2)

BEIJING, Jan. 16 (People's Daily Online) -- Officials from both the EU and China launched a new cooperation project on intellectual property (IP) in Beijing on Thursady, aiming to create a better IP environment for the benefit of both EU and China.

The New EU-China Cooperation on Intellectual Property, as a follow up to the partnership project between the EU and China on the protection of intellectual property rights (2007-2012), will carry out more than 20 activities of bilateral interest covering all aspects of IP rights over a period of three years. The project foresees a contribution of 7.5 million euro from the EU and Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).

Zhang Xiangchen, assistant Minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, said that China and the EU share extensive common interests in IPR protection and cooperation. China is still inefficient in IPR, but it attaches more importance and takes more efforts to protect Intellectual Property as an increasing number of Chinese companies go abroad.

The new cooperation is based on previous EU-China projects-IPR1 and IPR2-which built on a sound policy exchange between China and the EU, said Carmen Cano, deputy head of EU delegation. "The launch of the new EU-China IP cooperation will further strengthen co-operation on IP issues with a view to making a fundamental contribution to the innovation of their respective economies," she said.

"A healthy trading relationship is based on a healthy IP relationship- and that's where the new EU China cooperation on IPR comes in. The EU, as the biggest trading partner of China, takes IPR issues one of the priorities between China and the EU and a decisive element for continued China-EU trade and investment growth," said António Campinos, President of OHIM.