Fasten your seatbelts, because the first-half 2026 data is in and it's bringing record-breaking numbers. In total, EU trade mark and EU design applications reached an impressive 166,214, representing a 4.7% increase compared with the same period last year. This growth is the result of strong demand for EU trade marks, combined with the steady performance of EU design applications. Below, we've gathered the most interesting findings and key highlights from the publication.
Upward Trend in EU Trade Mark Applications
- A total of 104,263 EU trade mark applications were filed between January and June 2026, representing an 8.4 % increase compared with the same period in 2025. This is also the highest first-half figure since the record set in 2021.
- EU-based applicants were the main force behind this growth, increasing their share of total filings from 57.4 % in 2025 to 60.7 % in 2026, a 14.6 % year-on-year increase.
- France, Germany and Poland recorded the strongest growth in applications, with increases of 17.4 %, 15.2 % and 13.3 %, respectively.
- Looking at all applicants, China remained the largest filing country overall, while Germany retained the top position among EU-based filers.
EU Design Applications Maintain Steady Performance
- A total of 61,951 EU design applications (EUDs) were filed in the first half of 2026, a slight 1 % decline compared with the same period in 2025.
- The decrease was mainly driven by lower filing numbers from China (down 3.3 %), the United States (down 6.8 %) and the United Kingdom (down 13.3 %).
- EU-based applicants helped offset the decline, with filings increasing by 1.6 %. Spain stood out with 28 % growth, while Germany, the leading EU filer, also recorded a 2.9 % increase.
- Overall, the top three filing countries were China (28.5 % of all applications), Germany (14.3 %) and Italy (9.1 %).
First applications under the new EU Craft and Industrial Geographical Indications system
- A major milestone in the first half of 2026 was the filing of the first applications for Craft and Industrial Geographical Indications (CIGIs), following the launch of the new protection system on 1 December 2025.
- Of the 81 applications filed so far, Portugal accounted for more than half with 42 applications, followed by France with 25 and Slovakia with 10.