'IP Charter' to manage public-private research co-operation[de] 

The German EU Presidency has tabled an initiative  for establishing a European Charter for the management of intellectual property from public research institutions and universities. This IP-Charter would be designed as a voluntary code of conduct for collaboration between research institutions and industry. 

The initiative was presented to EU-27 competitiveness ministers in their informal meeting on 26-27 April 2007. According to the presidency, the ministers supported the initiative and made further suggestions for the implementation of the charter.

Overall, the charter aims to raise general awareness on the importance of deliberate and professional management of intellectual property. The aim is to encourage member states to support the establishment of principles for the proper management of IP and to push public research institutions and universities to professionalise their management of IP in accordance with the standards proposed by the charter. 

German Research Minister Annette Schavan said that she will try to ensure that the charter is supported by the European leaders' summit meeting in June.