First Session Working Group on the Development of the Lisbon System (June 11-12, 2018)

The purpose of the first session of the Lisbon Working Group on the Development of the Lisbon System was (i) to consider fee reductions in respect of certain international registrations of appellations of origin and geographical indications, as foreseen in Article 7(3) of the Geneva Act (document LI/WG/DEV-SYS/1/2), and (ii) to further consider the financial sustainability of the Lisbon Union (document LI/WG/DEV-SYS/1/3) as requested by the Lisbon Assembly at the end of its thirty-fourth session in October 2017.

At the end of the session, the Working Group agreed (i) to recommend to the Lisbon Union Assembly that, at its 2018 session, the Schedule of Fees under Rule 8(1) of the Common Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, as adopted by the Assembly of the Lisbon Union at its thirty-fourth session, be amended to introduce a reduction to 50 per cent of the prescribed amount of the fees to be paid by least developed countries (LDCs) in respect of their international registrations (or modifications thereof), and (ii) to further discuss different options concerning the financial sustainability of the Lisbon Union.