State Secretary Vesna Kovač, speaking on the occasion of the conclusion of the project “Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights in Serbia”, said that the goal is increased efficiency of protection from counterfeiting on the market, as well as raising awareness on piracy.

The project contributed to improving the capacities of institutions competent for implementing intellectual property rights and combating counterfeiting and piracy in Serbia, she said, and added that the protection of intellectual property rights is also important for bringing in foreign investors, increasing budget income and reducing the extent of grey economy.

She noted that a Market Inspection system was created to resolve cases in the field of intellectual property.

Kovač reminded that diverse educational materials have been produced during the two years of the project, and events were organized across Serbia to raise public awareness on the dangers of counterfeiting and piracy.

Senior Advisor at the Ministry Vera Despotović said that the project produced a comprehensive analysis of the state of play in the field of counterfeiting and piracy in Serbia, and added that this was the first document elaborating on the channels of counterfeit goods in our country.

Despotović noted the importance of introducing clear competences for all institutions dealing with the protection and implementation of intellectual property rights, as well as the significance of networking and establishing formal coordination.

She stated that new procedures have been introduced for retaining, storing and destroying counterfeit goods.

Advisor to the EU Delegation to Serbia Steffen Hudolin assessed that the goal of the project is consumer protection and added that counterfeit products could be life threatening, not having passed safety testing.

Consumers are often attracted by the low price and unaware of the danger of counterfeit products, he assessed and added that the protection of intellectual property rights is an international challenge requiring international cooperation.

British and Danish experts cooperated with Serbian experts in implementing the project in Serbia, Hudolin said, and called on colleagues from Serbia to continue strengthening cooperation in this field.

He also assessed that Serbia has made significant progress in harmonizing its legislation with EU regulations in the field of the protection of intellectual property rights, however, further work is required to implement these regulations.

The project “Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights in Serbia”, financed by the European Union with EUR 1.3 million, improved the capacities of Serbia institutions working on the protection of such rights and combating piracy.

The project was implemented by the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Intellectual Property Office, the Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office and the EU Delegation to Serbia.

Software for the market inspection and Customs Administration was developed as part of this project, while 800 persons completed trainings.