Statement: Statement by Michel Barnier, EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, to mark World Intellectual Property Day 2014 (26 April)

Onwards 25 April 2014, intellectual property has never been as important. Following one of the worst economic crises the world has seen, the EU is on its way to recovery. In doing so, the EU needs to be able to count on one of its main strengths: its intellectual capital and human resources, people who are highly skilled and educated. With the current global knowledge-based economy, we need superior technical skill and innovation, which in practice relies on a well-functioning intellectual property (IP) infrastructure.