Exclusive: French govt declares for INTA chief in EUIPO race

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Exclusive: French govt declares for INTA chief in EUIPO race

Etienne_Sanz_de_Acedo_03-comp.jpg

French ministers have written to EU member states to garner support for Etienne Sanz de Acedo’s bid to succeed Christian Archambeau

  • Inside look at French government position

  • Background to the campaign and next steps

The French government has backed INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo to be the next executive director of the EUIPO, Managing IP can confirm.

Two senior French ministers wrote to national intellectual property offices last Wednesday, February 15, to say the INTA chief had the full support of the French government.

Sanz de Acedo’s application for the role had not been made public until now.

The letter, seen by Managing IP, said Sanz de Acedo had all the qualities to build on the EUIPO’s success to date.

“We have the honour to inform you of the candidacy of Etienne Sanz de Acedo Hecquet to become executive director of the EUIPO,” said a translated version of the letter, which was originally written in French.

“[His] professional experience and expertise are essential assets for the management of an EU agency such as the EUIPO, in agreement with the member states, the EU institutions, and the European and international IP organisations.

“He also has a strong network within the global intellectual property ecosystem, allowing him to understand the current and future challenges faced by IP rights holders,” the letter added.

The letter was signed by Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna.

Sanz de Acedo, who worked at the EUIPO from 1997 to 2013, has been rumoured to be a candidate to succeed incumbent Christian Archambeau later this year but has not commented publicly on the matter.

Last Wednesday, February 15, Managing IP reported exclusively that EUIPO Boards of Appeal president João Negrão had applied for the post with the support of the Portuguese government.

EUIPO deputy chief executive Andrea Di Carlo is also in the race and has received public support from the Italian government.

The EUIPO’s management board, made up of representatives from member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission, will nominate Archambeau's successor in June.

The nominee will take the post in October, subject to the approval of the European Council.

Managing IP has contacted the French government for comment.

Sanz de Acedo declined to comment on this story.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Leaders at US law firms explain what attorneys can learn from AI cases involving Meta and Anthropic, and why the outcomes could guide litigation strategies
Attorneys reveal the trademark and copyright trends they’ve noticed within the first half of 2025
Senior leaders at TE Connectivity and Clarivate explain how they see the future of innovation
A new action filed by Nokia against Asus and a landmark ruling on counterfeits by South Africa’s Supreme Court were also among the top talking points
Counsel explain how they’re navigating patent prosecution matters and highlight key takeaways from Federal Circuit cases
A partner who joined Fenwick alongside two others explains what drew her to the firm and her hopes for growth in Boston
The England and Wales High Court has granted Kirkland & Ellis client Samsung interim declaratory relief in its ongoing FRAND dispute with ZTE
A UDRP decision that found in favour of a small business in a domain name dispute could encourage more businesses to take a stand in ‘David v Goliath’ cases
In Iconix v Dream Pairs, the Supreme Court said the Court of Appeal was wrong to interfere with an earlier ruling, prompting questions about the appeal court’s remit
Chris Moore at HGF reflects on the ‘spirit of collegiality’ that led to an important ruling in G1/24, a case concerning how European patent claims should be interpreted
Gift this article