Tunesia

http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/04/st16/st16166.en04.pdf

European Commission dated: 15 December 2004 Subject: Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted by the European Community and its Member States within the Association Council established by the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, with regard to the adoption of a Recommendation on the implementation of the EU/Tunisia Action Plan

Intellectual and industrial property rights

(36) Ensure a level of protection compatible with the highest international standards and strengthen the effective application of these provisions in accordance with Article 39 of the Association Agreement

Short term

– accede to the main international agreements - including the conventions specified in Article 39 of the Association Agreement - and apply the highest international standards (Article 39); – ensure enforcement of the rules, particularly as regards fines, to ensure effective protection for right-holders; – improve administrative cooperation between relevant Tunisian authorities and with third country authorities; – build capacity in the supervisory structure dealing with the registration, granting and management of rights; – step up action on counterfeit/pirated goods in specifically targeted sectors; – step up measures for: creating a climate conducive to the development of industrial property in Tunisia; strengthening the Industrial Property department of the National Institute of Standardisation and Industrial Property; promoting patents and inventiveness.

... Medium term – reinforce the bodies responsible for patents and copyright; – explore the possibility of enhanced interaction with other Euromed partners; – move in the direction of levels of protection on a par with the EU's.

Science and technology, research and development

(70) Speed up Tunisia's integration in the European research area and the Community framework programmes

– Implement and reinforce mutual information systems, in particular as regards reciprocal cooperation opportunities;

– disseminate research results to all potential users, develop a “patent culture” and set up intellectual property offices in technology parks and universities, including support for the introduction of a doctoral-level course in intellectual property law in the framework of the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation;

– implement and ensure the smooth running of the network of national contact points for the 6th FRDP and link them up with the national RDT and innovation operators;

– organise EU-Tunisia cooperation in RDT-I, identifying the priority sectors of mutual interest, the instruments and means of cooperation and implementation policies and strategies.