Executive Director João Negrão officially announced the launch of the new Mediation Centre of the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the second-largest decentralised agency of the European Union.

It will be hosted at the EUIPO, the EU agency in charge of registering over 170 000 trade marks and 100 000 designs annually, offering intellectual property (IP) protection with two unitary rights that are valid across the EU.

The services of the Centre include mediation, conciliation, and expert determination and are delivered through a qualified team of experienced mediators and case managers who are multilingual, offering users a wide choice of languages for greater convenience in negotiations.

Commenting on the launch, the Executive Director of the EUIPO, João Negrão, said: ‘The establishment of the Mediation Centre is a major step in supporting citizens and businesses in managing their intellectual property rights effectively and helping avoid expensive, unpredictable litigation processes when disputes arise. With 42% of EU trade mark applications coming from non-EU companies, cross-border disputes have become more and more common, highlighting the need for global and cost-effective dispute resolution services.’

The ADR tools offered by the Mediation Centre support parties to resolve a wide range of disputes in a single process, effectively avoiding the expense and complexity of litigation and facilitating swift, efficient, global settlements. This is particularly valuable for small businesses, as it makes dispute resolution more affordable, especially in cross-border cases.

An online ADR platform allows mediators and parties to interact virtually in a secure and confidential environment.

All services offered by the Centre are governed by the same basic principles: the neutrality and impartiality of the mediators, conciliators, experts and case managers, the confidentiality of the process, and the voluntary participation of the parties.