Intellectual Property in European Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries

The document argues that the European Union is pursuing 'TRIPS-plus' intellectual property standards in its European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. It suggests that the EU's mandate to strengthen intellectual property rights (IPR) provisions and enforcement could negatively influence global IP norms at the WTO and WIPO, potentially undermining the prospects of developing countries in multilateral negotiations.

• The European Commission has explicitly integrated a 'TRIPS-Plus' mandate into its trade objectives, aiming to enhance both the provisions of intellectual property rights and the enforcement of current commitments in future bilateral deals.
• The European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with 76 ACP member countries represent a significant shift from previous non-reciprocal trade preferences and could fundamentally change the international intellectual property landscape.
• The EU's pursuit of higher IP standards in EPAs may negatively impact the ability of developing countries to negotiate intellectual property terms in multilateral forums such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2006). Intellectual Property in European Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries. https://www.ciel.org/reports/fourth-quarter-2006-intellectual-property-in-european-partnership-agreements-with-the-african-caribbean-and-pacific-group-of-counties-2/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Intellectual Property in European Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries. 2006. https://www.ciel.org/reports/fourth-quarter-2006-intellectual-property-in-european-partnership-agreements-with-the-african-caribbean-and-pacific-group-of-counties-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Intellectual Property in European Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries |date=1 December 2006 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/fourth-quarter-2006-intellectual-property-in-european-partnership-agreements-with-the-african-caribbean-and-pacific-group-of-counties-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2006intellectual, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Intellectual Property in European Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2006}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/fourth-quarter-2006-intellectual-property-in-european-partnership-agreements-with-the-african-caribbean-and-pacific-group-of-counties-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }