Council Corrects Maltese Wording in EU Community Designs Regulation

A corrigendum to Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 on Community designs, adopted by the Council of the European Union and published on 2 May 2026, corrects a linguistic error in the Maltese version of the preamble. The correction rectifies an obvious wording mistake without altering the legal substance of the regulation, which establishes a unified system for protecting product appearances across the Union.

Document details The corrigendum, issued as a legislative act, amends only the Maltese language version of the preamble, ensuring consistency with other language versions. No other language versions are affected, and the correction has no impact on the interpretation or application of the regulation.

Policy context Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 is a cornerstone of EU intellectual property law, providing a single, Union-wide right for the protection of industrial designs. The regulation harmonises design protection, allowing creators to obtain a Community design valid in all member states through a single application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The current corrigendum is a purely technical measure, reflecting the EU's commitment to legal clarity and linguistic accuracy in its legislation.

Impact on stakeholders The correction has negligible impact on stakeholders. EUIPO, national intellectual property offices, design holders, and legal practitioners will not experience any change in the legal framework or enforcement of design rights. The correction solely ensures that the Maltese text accurately reflects the intended meaning, maintaining legal certainty for Maltese-speaking users.

Institutional follow-up No further action is required from other EU institutions. The corrigendum enters into force upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.