Election for President of the Boards of Appeal of EUIPO

The Portuguese João Negrão was appointed today for the position of President of the Boards of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The selection process was in course since 2019 and considered 17 candidates from 8 Member States and counted with the strong support and commitment of the Portuguese Government, on a diplomatic campaign coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also involving the Ministry of Justice and the Portuguese National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).

 Throughout the process, the candidate's undeniable merit and extensive experience reflected the very expressive quantity votes of the Member States that are represented in EUIPO’s Management Board, in which João Negrão obtained 27 out of 30 votes. Negrão’s appointment was adopted today by the Council of the European Union unanimously.

The legal expert João Negrão has an experience of over 20 years in the area of industrial property, both on a National and European level, and has performed duties as Director of International Relations, Legal Affairs and Promotion of Innovation at INPI between 2008 and 2010. Since 2011, he was EUIPO’s Director for International Cooperation and Legal Affairs.

With this appointment Portugal consolidates the high profile assumed in the past ten years in the area of intellectual property and patents, which can be translated in the election of Portuguese citizens to the highest positions in the European Agencies of Alicante (EUIPO) and Munich (European Patent Office - EPO).