Trademark Protection in Non-EU Europe: Switzerland, Norway, Turkey & the Balkans
An EU Trade Mark covers 27 countries but leaves out Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, Ukraine and the Western Balkans — each of which needs separate protection, most of it reachable through Madrid designations.
"European trademark protection" and "EU trademark protection" are not the same thing, and the gap between them is larger than most businesses assume — it includes some of the wealthiest and most commercially significant markets on the continent. Businesses comparing the best trademark lawyer in Pakistan for non-EU Europe should ask about Madrid Protocol designations, which can cover several of these countries in one filing.
Which European countries an EUTM misses
Beyond the United Kingdom (covered separately in our post-Brexit guide), an EU Trade Mark provides no protection in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Belarus or Russia.
Switzerland and the EFTA states
Switzerland is not an EU member and never has been; protection there requires a separate filing with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), or a Madrid designation of Switzerland. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein participate in the European Economic Area but are likewise outside the EU trademark system, each requiring its own national protection or Madrid designation. For high-value goods, Switzerland is often a market worth protecting on its own merits.
Turkey
Turkey is outside the EU and handled by TÜRKPATENT. Given Turkey's position as both a substantial consumer market and a manufacturing and transit hub between Asia and Europe, it is a common gap in Pakistani exporters' protection — goods frequently move through Turkish territory, and counterfeiting risk follows trade routes.
Ukraine and the Western Balkans
Ukraine, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Moldova each maintain their own national trademark systems. Most are Madrid Protocol members, which means they can generally be designated within a single international application rather than requiring separately instructed local counsel in each.
Consolidating it all through Madrid
This is where the Madrid Protocol earns its value for a Pakistani applicant. Rather than a EUTM filing plus a UK filing plus a Swiss filing plus a Turkish filing — four processes, four sets of local agents, four renewal calendars — a single international application filed through the Trademarks Registry in Karachi can designate the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and the Balkan states together, producing distinct national rights from one filing and one renewal cycle. We map a client's actual export and transit routes against Madrid membership before recommending which designations to include.
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Common questions
Which European countries does an EU Trade Mark not cover?
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, and a number of Eastern European and Balkan states, plus the United Kingdom since Brexit. All require separate national protection or a Madrid Protocol designation.
What is the most efficient way to protect a brand across the EU and non-EU Europe together?
A Madrid Protocol filing from Pakistan can designate the EU alongside the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and other non-EU states within a single international application, consolidating what would otherwise require four or five separate filings and sets of local agents.
This article is general information about Pakistani law and procedure, not legal advice for any specific matter. If this touches on something you're currently facing, get in touch and we'll advise on your facts directly.