Project Purpose

While the Chinese framework of legislation protecting intellectual property is now generally in line with international standards, there remain considerable concerns over the continued high levels of infringements covering most types of rights and to a wide range of products. This issue was prioritized in the Commission’s National Indicative Programme with China 2005-2006 and further reiterated at the EU-China Summit in Helsinki within the joint Business Declaration of 12 September 2006:

"Business leaders from both China and the EU fully agreed in the Joint Statement of the Ninth EU-China Summit, in which the Joint Statement stressed the importance of protecting intellectual property the need for effective enforcement of IPR legislation" (Point 12).

Specific Objective 

In line with this guiding principle, IPR2 aims for:

• The Chinese legal framework of IPR laws and regulations to be more predictable, transparent, coherent and in line with the WTO agreements.
• The technical capacity of all institutions involved in IPR to handle IPR cases to be enhanced through systematic and extensive training.
• Civil enforcement to be improved considerably in terms of speed, efficiency, costs and fair trial through increased awareness and improved knowledge of stakeholders involved in IPR.
• Criminal enforcement to be improved in terms of application, efficiency, costs and fair trial through increased awareness and improved knowledge of stakeholders involved as well as through improved inter-agency communication and transfer of cases.
• Administrative enforcement is improved, specifically with regard to the protection of patent rights.
• A database to be created, with nationally and internationally available IPR related information and links to facilitate the work of law and policy makers, IPR agencies and institutions, including enforcement agencies, customs and police.
• IPR to be better understood and used by both Chinese and European right holders as a strategic tool for business development.