Directorate General III (Commercial & Economic Law)
© BMJ/ Zeug
Directorate-General III (Commercial & Economic Law) is responsible for legislation in the area of commercial and company law, accounting and reporting law, insurance contract law, industrial property protection (patent law, utility model law, the law on industrial designs, trade mark law, the law against unfair competition) as well as copyright law. Furthermore, it is also responsible for performing the scrutiny of draft legislation of all other Ministries in the fields of economic law, law of public finance and tax law. The work in the field of the law on new communications technologies and new technologies in the natural sciences is due particular emphasis. The remit of Directorate-General III is anchored in international developments and its work determined by these developments more than that of any other Directorate-General. That is why a major focus of Directorate-General III is on participation in the work of the European Communities and the European Patent Organisation, as well as that of the United Nations and its specialised agencies. The tasks of modernising company law, reforming accounting rules and the law against unfair competition, establishing a Community patent and a European patent jurisdiction, as well as the issue of combating product piracy are currently at the fore.
