News

On 26 January in Japan, Lithuanian Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Japan Albertas Algirdas Dambrauskas, on behalf of Lithuania, signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)  between the European Union and its member states, and third countries, namely Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.S.A.

The agreement is an international legal framework establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement for contracting parties, including EU member states.

Infringements of these standards undermine legitimate trade and the EU’s competitiveness; have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation.

The agreement includes the newest intellectual property rights provisions, also provisions relating to civil, border and other measures.

Further to the adoption of the negotiating directives by the Council on 14 April 2008, negotiations on the ACTA were launched on 3 June 2008. The final text was released on 15 November 2010. On 1 October  2011, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was signed by Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore and the U.S.A. The European Union and its member states did not sign this agreement before because the EU had not completed its internal procedures authorising the signature.

On 26 January, on behalf of the European Union, the agreement was signed by the Ambassador of the Danish EU Presidency in Japan Carsten Damsgaard, Ambassador of the EU to Japan Hans Dietmar Schweisgut and 22 EU member states, including Lithuania.