On 4 April 2020, the six EU cities that are part of the Authenticities network met in Thessaloniki to discuss the state of play of the network, ongoing actions and what lays ahead.
Since its inception in 2020, this is the first time the ‘Authenticities’ have met.
The meeting brought together, representatives from national IP offices, stakeholders from EU countries involved in the initiative, and member cities. Together, they confirmed their commitment to the Authenticity network and to ensuring that it continues to grow, into the future.
There are currently six cities, from around Europe, who are certified as Authenticities Thessaloniki (Greece), Mykonos (Greece), Sofia and Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) and Madrid (Spain). These cities organise events and campaigns all year round to highlight the dangers of counterfeit goods, provide training sessions for local enforcement authorities and awareness campaigns aimed at the general public, and businesses.
Authenticities are specifically designed to empower authorities at a local level to engage citizens and other stakeholders in this fight with the aim to increase IP awareness at a local level and enhance the protection of IP rights.
Simply put, the network helps ensure that the certified Authenticities can remain healthier, wealthier, safer and more respectful of the environment.
