On Friday 12 May 2017, the LESI European Committee organized a meeting in Brussels between 25 LESI members from 12 different National Societies and the European Commission to discuss the national implementation steps of the European Trade Secrets Directive. A preparatory meeting was held “for LES members only” in the morning and was followed by an afternoon session at the Commission’s premises in Brussels attended by two senior Commission staff members who drafted the Directive. The LES delegates explained the steps and issues encountered in their respective country with the implementation of this Directive, which should be transposed into national law by June 2018.

The LESI European Committee is a preferred point of contact with the EU Commission about Trade Secrets. A similar meeting took place in Brussels in June 2013 when the Commission was looking for first input from LESI about the scope of the Directive. The two Commission members have been invited to speak about this Directive at meetings organized by LES Benelux and by LES Spain & Portugal.

The meeting was organized by the Committee’s Chairs Emmanuel Gougé (LES France) and Jose-Miguel Lissen (LES Spain & Portugal), assisted by the Committee’s former chair and “godfather” Bruno Vandermeulen (LES Benelux). Attending members were from the Benelux, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Ireland, the Czech Republic and Denmark. They included past International President Kevin Nachtrab, the President of LES France Anne-Charlotte le Bihan and the President of LES Italy Mattia Dalla Costa.

The results of the meeting will be presented inter alia at the Annual General Meeting of LES Benelux in Rotterdam on 15 June by Bruno Vandermeulen and Wouter Pors (LES Benelux).