The International Conference “Bulgarian Crafts - Traditions Meet the Future”, organized by the Bulgarian Patent Office in cooperation with the European Commission (EC) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), was held on July 1–2, 2025, in Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
The event brought together representatives of intellectual property offices, representatives of European institutions and the craft sector, etc. The Republic of Moldova was represented by Victoria Pulbere, Deputy Head of the Trademarks and Industrial Design Department and Tatiana Rusu, Head of the National Trademarks Division, within the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI).
The conference, held over two days, aimed to promote and protect traditional crafts and artisanal crafts through geographical indications.
During the sessions, key topics such as the protection of artisanal and industrial products through geographical indications were discussed, highlighting the legislative framework of the European Union. Including, the recent practice of European courts in resolving conflicts between trademarks and geographical indications was presented. At the same time, it was emphasized that, starting with December 1, 2025, it will be possible to submit applications for the protection of artisanal and industrial products based on the new European regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/2411).
The procedures for registration of geographical indications at national and European level were also presented, as well as successful examples of valorizing cultural heritage and traditional crafts in Bulgaria.
The event was held in an interactive format, with discussions, question and answer sessions and documentary visits to the old town of Plovdiv, including the Regional Ethnographic Museum, as part of the Craft Traditions Week.
The new European mechanism will create a strengthened framework that will support the protection of authentic products, contributing both to combating imitations and promoting cultural identity, as well as to the sustainable development of rural regions and the preservation of traditional crafts.
