Commission's group of experts on the enforcement of intellectual property rights

20.1.2015

Question for oral answer O-000001/2015
to the Commission
Rule 128
Pavel Svoboda, Jean-Marie Cavada, Angel Dzhambazki, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs

Regulation (EU) No 386/2012 conferred on the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) various tasks aimed at facilitating and supporting activities in the fight against infringements of intellectual property rights. In carrying out these tasks, the OHIM was to organise, administer and support the gathering of experts under the Observatory. It also had to consult and cooperate with other authorities at national, European and, where appropriate, international level, create synergies with the activities carried out by such authorities and avoid the duplication of measures.

As foreseen in the EU Action Plan on the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, Commission Decision C(2014) 6449 of 16 September 2014 set up a group of experts on the enforcement of intellectual property rights. Some of its tasks seem similar to those of the Observatory, in particular as regards cooperation between Member States and the Commission and exchanges of best practice.

1. Could the Commission explain the difference between the tasks assigned to the Observatory and to the group of experts on intellectual property rights? In particular, could it detail the added value provided by the group of experts in comparison to that which already exists in the Observatory?

2. Given that the creation of this group will have financial implications, could the Commission guarantee that there will be no duplication of tasks, and therefore no unnecessary expenditure at odds with the objective of rationalising resources?

3. Can the Commission confirm that Parliament will be invited to send experts to attend its meetings as observers?