5.1.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L3/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 308 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas: 1) 0] C 29 0] C 67, 1.3.2001, 0] C 11 A unified system for obtaining a Community design to which uniform protection is given with uniform effect throughout the entire territory of the Community would further the objectives of the Community as laid down in the Treaty. Only the Benelux countries have introduced a uniform design protection law. In all the other Member States the protection of designs is a matter for the relevant national law and is confined to the territory of the Member State concerned. Identical designs may be there- fore protected differently in different Member States and for the benefit of different owners. This inevitably leads to conflicts in the course of trade between Member States. The substantial differences between Member States' design laws prevent and distort Community-wide competition. In comparison with domestic trade in, and competition between, products incorporating a design, trade and competition within the Community are prevented and distorted by the large number of applica- tions, offices, procedures, laws, nationally circumscribed exclusive rights and the combined administrative expense with correspondingly high costs and fees for the applicant. Directive 98/71/EC of the European Parlia- ment and of the Council of 13 October 1998 on the , 31.1.1994, p. 20 and O] C 248, 29.8.2000, p. 3. p. 318. 0, 2.5.1995 and OJ C 75, 15.3.2000, p. 35. legal protection of designs (*) contributes to remedying this situation. The effect of design protection being limited to the territory of the individual Member States whether or not their laws are approximated, leads to a possible division of the internal market with respect to products incorpor- ating a design which is the subject of national rights held by different individuals, and hence constitutes an obstacle to the free movement of goods. This calls for the creation of a Community design which is directly applicable in each Member State, because only in this way will it be possible to obtain, through one application made to the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Design) in accordance with a single procedure under one law, one design right for one area encompassing all Member States. Since the objectives of the proposed action, namely, the protection of one design right for one area encom- passing all the Member States, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States by reason of the scale and the effects of the creation of a Community design and a Community design authority and can therefore, and can therefore be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accord- ance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regula- tion does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives. Enhanced protection for industrial design not only promotes the contribution of individual designers to the sum of Community excellence in the field, but also encourages innovation and development of new prod- ucts and investment in their production. Consequently a more accessible design-protection system adapted to the needs of the internal market is essential for Community industries. () O] L 289, 28.10.1998, p. 28.