88. The representative of the European Communities thanked China for its comprehensive statement. He said that document IP/C/W/413 which his delegation had submitted was self-explanatory. He said that China's implementation of its commitment to abide by the TRIPS Agreement had resulted in significant changes in China's intellectual property protection. Its legislative framework for the protection of intellectual property was in line with international standards, in particular the TRIPS Agreement. Over the past years, China had been progressively more sensitive as regards the need for reform and enforcement against counterfeiting and piracy. The Chinese police and prosecutors were more willing to accept complaints from foreign right holders. Despite these positive developments, he said that the European Communities remained concerned about the high level of counterfeiting and piracy in China. Therefore, the European Communities encouraged China to make additional efforts to curb counterfeiting and piracy. The European Communities was committed to working with the Chinese Government to create a win-win situation.
89. The European Communities welcomed the recently launched EC-China Structured Dialogue on Intellectual Property which had been signed at the EC-China Summit between the EC Trade Commissioner Lamy and Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Commerce Wei Jianguo. He expected this Dialogue to contribute to a better understanding of intellectual property systems in China and the European Communities. It would also be convenient to address China's intellectual property enforcement challenge. In conclusion, he said that the European Communities was looking forward to increasing its cooperation with China at the bilateral level, which would provide a convenient framework to further address the concerns raised in its submission.
