The webinar “Simplified Procedure for the Destruction of IP-Infringing Goods in Small Consignments (Swiss experience)” was held on November 11, 2025, organized within the framework of the Moldovan-Swiss Intellectual Property Project “Swiss PartnershIP Moldova”. The event took place online and brought together approximately 100 participants, representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, the State Inspectorate for Supervision of Non-Food Products and Consumer Protection (SISNFPCP), the Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as other members of the Observatory on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights.
The webinar was hosted by Mr. Dominik von Werdt, Process Manager at Swiss Federal Institute for Intellectual Property (IPI), who presented the legal framework, the procedural steps and the differences between the ordinary and simplified procedure for destroying counterfeits in small consignments. The expert highlighted the roles of the institutions involved – the intellectual property office, customs offices, rightholders, recipients and logistics partners – as well as the advantages of digitizing the process, which contributes to more efficient case management and saving resources.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about recent statistical data and trends regarding the application of customs-assistance measures in Switzerland. According to IPI’s experience, in the first four months after the implementation of the new procedure, over 4,500 suspicious consignments were detained and processed, of which about 20% were subjected to the simplified destruction procedure.
During the interactive session, numerous questions were addressed regarding the digitalization of the administrative flow, inter-institutional cooperation, as well as the ways to adopt Swiss good practices in the Republic of Moldova. The discussions highlighted the common interest of national institutions in strengthening efficiency and transparency in combating trade in counterfeit products.
In conclusion, Mr. Sergiu Suvac, representative of the Customs Service, thanked the Swiss PartnershIP Moldova Project team, the translators and all participants, emphasizing the importance of organizing such training activities, which contribute to strengthening cooperation and developing institutional capacities in the field of intellectual property rights protection.
AGEPI, as a partner of the Swiss PartnershIP Moldova Project, reaffirms its commitment to promoting the exchange of international good practices and to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening the national system for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
