CEFTA

SAAs between Western Balkans and the EU

The Western Balkans and the EU aim at a progressive alignment of the Western Balkan’s IPR standards with those of the EU, ensuring a level playing field for businesses. Notably, the SAAs aim at:  

  • Strong IPR standards:The agreements aim to establish a robust legal framework for protecting various forms of IPR, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, and geographical indications; 
  • Effective enforcement:The Western Balkans commit through the SAAs to implementing effective measures to enforce IPR rights, including BCP/CCP measures to combat counterfeiting and piracy; and 
  • Accession to international conventions:The Western Balkans are expected to accede to key international conventions on IPRs, such as those administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 

The SAAs set up a particularly robust framework for protecting geographical indications (GIs) and trademarks for wine, spirit drinks, and aromatised wines. This includes commitments on: 

  • Mutual recognition:The parties agree to protect each others GIs listed in the respective SAAs appendices; 
  • Prevention of misuse: The SAAs prohibit the use of protected GIs for products that do not originate from the specified geographical area; 
  • Consumer protection: The SAAs aim to prevent consumer confusion by ensuring that products are accurately labelled and marketed; and 
  • Enforcement mechanisms: The SAA parties commit to taking necessary measures to enforce the protection of GIs, including through legal actions and border controls. 

For more information on the specific GIs and trademarks mutually recognised by the Western Balkan Parties, as well as the general provisions on IPR protection, please check the annexes to the respective SAA, available here