Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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# 92002E2114

**WRITTEN QUESTION E-2114/02 by Janelly Fourtou (PPE-DE) to the Council. EU membership of the Madrid protocol.** 
  
*Official Journal 092 E , 17/04/2003 P. 0137 - 0137*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2114/02

by Janelly Fourtou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(17 July 2002)

Subject: EU membership of the Madrid protocol

In July 1996 the Commission presented a proposal for a Council decision aimed at establishing a link between the Community mark system and the Madrid Protocol(1) and a proposal aimed at modifying Regulation 40/94 on the Community trade mark to enable such a link to be established(2). Parliament adopted these two proposals in May 1997.

When the Commission presented these proposals only six Member States (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) were members of the Madrid Protocol. Now all the EU Member States and all the applicant countries except Cyprus and Malta have acceded to the protocol.

The European Union's accession would allow industry to benefit from the advantages of the Community mark in all the Madrid protocol Member States. It would also provide protection for the mark in signatory third countries and foster a climate favourable to trade between the European Union and the third countries.

In view of all the advantages that accession by the European Union to the Madrid protocol would offer to the owners of European trademarks, to the Community mark and the contribution it would make to consolidating the single market and to trade with third countries, and given that all the Member States have acceded individually to the protocol, can the Council say what measures it intends to take finally to establish the link between the Community mark and the Madrid protocol?

(1) COM(96) 367 final, OJ C 293, 5.1.1996, p. 11.

(2) COM(96) 372 final, OJ C 300, 10.10.1996, p. 11.

Reply

(16-19 December 2002)

The proposed Decision and the proposed Regulation mentioned in the Honourable Member's question require unanimity in the Council in order to be adopted. It has not yet been possible to obtain unanimity on all the provisions contained in the proposals.

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