Kosovo Working on New Customs Regulations for Protection of IP Rights

The government of Kosovo has been working with the EU’s rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the EU’s project Technical Assistance to Customs and Tax Administrations (TACTA) on new customs regulations regarding goods infringing intellectual property rights.

As part of this project, the legal experts are drafting an amendment to the IPR Regulation 2008/22 in order to bring it fully in line with the EU Regulation 1383/2003. One of the main points to be addressed in the amendment is the fast track procedure, which would allow fast destruction of counterfeit goods.

Under the EU Regulation, it is possible to destroy counterfeit items without any need to go to the court, in case the owner or the importer of the goods gives consent, whereas in Kosovo, it is necessary, under the current regulations, to go to the court to obtain the right to seize and destroy the counterfeits.

The government of Kosovo is currently reviewing the draft after which it will require the parliamentary approval.

For more information, contact Ignacio Lazaro in our Brussels Office.