CLDP has assisted countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union with the commercial law reforms necessary to achieve economic and political integration and stability through WTO accession. CLDP provided WTO accession technical assistance to six of the first eight post-Soviet states to join the WTO (Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova) as well as Russia and Ukraine. For countries that have successfully acceded to the WTO, CLDP continues to provide technical expertise by helping those countries meet and uphold their post-accession obligations. Recent programming is focused on a wide variety of customs, trade, and intellectual property programs – both with the public and private sectors. CLDP currently has programs in Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. Please click here to learn about CLDP's results in Europe and Eurasia.
 

Europe

CLDP’s current work in the region is focused on intellectual property protection and enforcement and trade-related programs as a way to increase foreign direct investment and spur regional economic integration.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Goal: CLDP works to strengthen BiH’s intellectual property regime and create a critical mass of BiH judges trained in adjudication of intellectual property disputes. CLDP will also initiate a program of judicial capacity building in international commercial disputes in an effort to foster a business environment conducive to increased trade and investment and economic growth in BiH.

Program Areas:

• Interagency enforcement of intellectual property laws.
• Improving the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of intellectual property civil and criminal infringement cases.
• Designing standard training modules for judicial IP trainings and developmement of BiH’s first judicial benchbook on adjudication of IP disputes.
• Judicial training workshops on international sales contracts and arbitration.

KOSOVO

Goal: CLDP’s technical assistance programs will work to improve Kosovo’s path toward developing a democratic matket-based economy and strengthening its key government institutions tasked with promoting trade and investment opportunities in Kosovo.

Program Areas:

• Implement a judicial capacity building program to create a critical mass of Kosovo judges trained in the adjudication of international commercial disputes.
• Provide comprehensive training to Kosovo public procurement practitioners to increase the efficiency and transparency of public procurement in Kosovo.
• Develop a technical assistance program for Kosovo’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors on US import standards and regulations and training on how to take advantage of duty-free export opportunities.

UKRAINE

Goal: CLDP maintains personnel and an office in Ukraine and continues to be the focal point for programs related to implementation of WTO obligations. CLDP Ukraine staff members regularly assist the State Intellectual Property Service, the State Customs Service, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Ministry of Interior.

Program Areas:

• WTO-compliant customs valuation and classification trainings for Ukrainian customs officials.
• Program to develop an action plan to establish coordinated interagency procedures of intellectual property enforcement, encompassing all major government authorities entrusted with IP enforcement in Ukraine
• Implement a judicial capacity building program to improve the adjudication of intellectual property disputes in cooperation with the National School of Judges and the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine.
• Capacity building program with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade on WTO trade remedies.

Eurasia

CLDP’s programs in Eurasia focus on sustainable institutional capacity development enabling economic growth, providing for increased trade and investment opportunities, and improving the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises.

ARMENIA

Goal: To work with Armenian university technology transfer specialists, scientists and advanced technology SMEs to lay the foundation for a legislative and regulatory framework conducive to technology transfer from academia to the business community which will lead to increased R&D commercialization and innovation in Armenia.

Program Areas:

• Partner with key government institutions, scientific organizations and public universities to develop pro-R&D commercialization legislation, capacity building of technology transfer offices and training of technology transfer specialists, and practical training on technology valuation and technology licensing agreements.

GEORGIA

Goal: CLDP will implement number of technical assistance programs in Georgia with the aim of creating a better business enabling environment, creating new and diversified trade and investment opportunities, and improving the commercial legal framework.

Program Areas:

• Implement a Commercial Diplomacy and World Trade Program for Georgia’s diplomatic corps on promoting Georgian exports and engaging potential foreign investors.
• Improve IP protection and enforcement in Georgia through a program on identification and interdiction of counterfeit medicines and consultations on collective management of copyright and related rights.
• Partner with key government institutions, scientific organizations and public universities to develop pro-R&D commercialization legislation, capacity building of technology transfer offices and training of technology transfer specialists, and practical training on technology valuation and technology licensing agreements. CLDP will also provide technical assistance to Georgia’s recently established National Innovation Center.
• Work with the State Procurement Agency of Georgia to provide comprehensive training to public procurement practitioners, increase the efficiency and transparency of public procurement in Georgia, and assist Georgia on its path toward accession to WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement.
• Work with Georgian SMEs to enhance business development skills and increase public-private sector dialogue on trade and investment.

KYRGYZSTAN

Goal: Facilitate U.S.– Kyrgyz business opportunities by targeting sectors that are conducive to increased trade and investment for the Kyrgyz Republic.

Program Areas:

• Build capacity in key Kyrgyz government agencies on intellectual property protection and enforcement.
• Implement business capacity development trainings that promote entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium sized enterprises.