The European Union Council has accepted in December 2006 the accession of the European Community to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement relating to International design registrations.
This acceptance is a first step of the link between Community designs (in existence since April 1st, 2003, and covering now 27 territories) and international design registrations (dated of July 2nd, 1999 and accepted by 19 countries).
The process should be effective in early 2008. The next step is the preparation of the Amendment of the Implementing Regulation by the European Regulation. January 2007 results of the Community Office show FRANCE amongst the top Community filers. In terms of trademarks, FRANCE is ranked 6th in the world with a total of 36 557 applications filed since the opening of the Community trademark system in 1996.
With regard to the Community Designs, FRANCE is ranked 4th in the world with 5 700 designs applied for since the opening of Community Design system in 2003.