The EU trademark program has driven the number of intellectual property applications to reach an all-time high in the first half of 2026.

2026-07-29

In the first half of 2026, the number of intellectual property applications submitted to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) reached an all-time high. The total number of EU trademark and EU design applications reached 166,214, an increase of 4.7% compared to the same period last year. This growth was mainly driven by the strong demand for EU trademark applications, while the number of EU design applications remained generally stable. 


The number of trademark applications in the European Union has been steadily increasing. 


From January to June in 2026, the number of EU trademark applications received reached 104,263, an increase of 8.4% compared to the same period in 2025. The number of EU trademark applications continued to rise and surpassed the historical record set in 2021. 


The growth momentum mainly comes from the internal demand within the EU single market. The number of applications submitted by EU member states increased by 14.6%. France had the highest growth rate (17.4%), followed by Germany (15.2%), Poland (13.3%), Italy (11.8%), and Spain (11.5%). Correspondingly, the proportion of applications from within the EU rose from 57.4% in 2025 to 60.7% in 2026. 


In terms of the total number of applications, although the application volume dropped by 12.4% in the first half of 2026, China remained the largest source country. Within the European Union, Germany had the highest application volume, followed by Italy, Spain and France. 


EU Design: A Mixed Picture 

In the first half of 2026, the total number of EU design (EUD) applications was 61,951, which decreased by 1% compared to the same period in 2025. 


Among the top ten countries in terms of application volume, eight saw a decline. Among them, China's application volume dropped by 3.3%, the United States by 6.8%, and the United Kingdom by 13.3%. However, the number of applications submitted by EU member states increased by 1.6%, which to some extent mitigated the overall decline. Spain's increase was particularly significant, reaching 28%; the largest applicant country within the EU, Germany, saw a growth of 2.9%. 

Among all the EU design applications, China still ranks first, accounting for 28.5% of the total applications; followed by Germany (14.3%), Italy (9.1%), the United States (8.3%), and France (4.3%). 


The brand-new Craft and Industry Geographical Indication (CIGI) system has received its first batch of applications. 


The new protection system for EU handicrafts and industrial geographical products, which came into effect on December 1, 2025, received its first batch of applications for EU handicraft and industrial geographical indications (CIGI) in the first half of 2026. 


As of now, the bureau has received a total of 81 applications. Portugal submitted the largest number, with a total of 42; France submitted 25 and Slovakia 10. 


These data confirm the continued strong demand for the EU's intellectual property system and indicate that enterprises both within and outside the EU continue to rely on this system to protect their innovations, creativity and product uniqueness. 


Source: China Intellectual Property Protection Network  Translated from www.euipo.europa.eu
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