Minister Dara Calleary welcomes EU review of industrial design rights
Monday 25th September 2023
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary T.D. joined his fellow Ministers with responsibility for the Internal Market and Industry at today’s meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council in Brussels. The Commission was represented by the Internal market Commissioner Breton and Health and Food Safety Commisisoner Kyriakides. The Spanish Presidency was represented by Mr Héctor José Gómez Hernández, Minister for Trade and Tourism, and Mr Pascual Ignacio Navarro Ríos, State Secretary for the European Union.
Ministers agreed three General Approaches; one on the Directive on the legal protection of industrial designs, one amending a Regulation on Community designs, and one on the Regulation on type-approval of motor vehicles with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7).
Minister Calleary said he, “welcomed the opportunity to have a constructive discussion with my fellow Ministers on the review of the EU legal protection of industrial design. I believe this reform package, which is long overdue, is a positive step for individual designers, businesses, and SMEs alike.”
The package, which aims to modernise existing industrial design protection provision and streamline the registration process will, Minister Callerary said “encourage design innovation, by delivering an accessible, modern, and effective legal framework for the protection of design rights”.
In relation to Euro 7, Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, T.D., said “Ireland hoped for greater ambition on Euro 7 and for the introduction of more stringent vehicle emission standards to help us reduce road transport emissions and contribute towards meeting our climate and air quality goals. We look forward to the trialogue negotiations between Council and Parliament as an opportunity to advocate for a balanced, environmentally friendly, resilient, and a globally competitive text which will serve Europe into the next decade.”
The Council also considered the role of competitiveness checks and how they can play a part in building a stronger and more resilient European economy.
Minister Calleary said, “the cost of doing business is the existential issue for many businesses, and so the impact on business costs must be an integral part of the competitiveness checking process, for both large companies and SMEs.”
He also added that he believes “innovation is a key long-term driver of competitiveness and should be supported by any new legislative proposals.
ENDS