On 17 March 2026, the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding on intellectual property cooperation in Alicante, Spain. This marks a new stage in the bilateral cooperation between the two parties.
The two sides will deepen collaboration across seven key areas, aiming to systematically enhance Moldova’s capacity for intellectual property protection and administration. The priorities of cooperation include the exchange of practical experience, the alignment and unification of examination procedures, the application and integration of existing EU tools and databases, the modernisation of information technology systems, professional training and institutional capacity building, as well as strengthened collaboration in the field of intellectual property protection.
This signing is regarded as an important step for Moldova in aligning its intellectual property sector with Europe. It will effectively optimise the local intellectual property protection environment, create favourable conditions for attracting international investment, and thus lay a solid foundation for in-depth integration into the European intellectual property network.
Shortly after this signing, the Republic of Moldova submitted the instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC) to the European Patent Organisation (EPO) on 25 March 2026, and will officially become the 40th contracting state of the EPO on 1 June 2026.
The cooperation between the EPO and Moldova can be traced back to the mid-1990s. In October 2013, the two parties signed a validation agreement, on the basis of which the EPO has closely cooperated with the AGEPI to support the Moldova's accession to the EPC.
These series of developments are a key milestone in its accelerated integration into the European intellectual property network. At the international level, this will further advance the synergy and unification of global intellectual property rules, while reinforcing the consensus on collaboration in the international intellectual property sector.
Source：
https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/republic-moldova-become-40th-epo-member-state
https://www.agepi.gov.md/en/news/agepi-and-euipo-strengthen-cooperation-field-intellectual-property-signing-memorandum
https://www.agepi.gov.md/en/news/republic-moldova-become-40th-member-state-european-patent-organisation
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