President Battistelli and Director General Camati agreed in principle on the future launch of a comprehensive co-operation programme including the validation of EP patents in Angola and EPO technical assistance for the development of the national patent system.

The EPO and the National Institute of Industrial Property of Argentina (INPI) have signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral co-operation.

The EPO and the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) have agreed to launch a joint Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programme to enable work-sharing and accelerated treatment of patent applications at both offices.

The Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco to the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, paid an official visit to the EPO on 25 April for the formal hand-over of the instruments of ratification by Monaco of the Bilateral Working Agreement on Searches.

The nominated inventors fight disease, take on some of the most pressing environmental issues and enrich our daily lives.

The management and staff of the EPO are deeply shocked and saddened by the horrific attack which took place in Stockholm on Friday 7 April.

Today marks the launch of the new EPO Academic Research Programme offering financial support for academic research on patent-related matters. The programme will award grants of up to EUR 100 000 to winning proposals.

CPVO and EPO experts continued their exchange on working practices on issues such as the use of databases and other working tools, quality policy, as well as measures to ensure clarity and transparency in this important technical field.

The 35th annual Trilateral conference was preceded by a meeting between the offices and industry associations from the three regions to collect feedback from users of the patent system.

The management and staff of the EPO are deeply shocked and saddened by the horrendous incident that occurred in London on 22 March.

EPO President Benoît Battistelli has signed bilateral co-operation plans with the heads of the patent offices of Latvia and Lithuania.

EPO President Benoît Battistelli met the UK Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation Jo Johnson in London on 8 March to discuss recent developments in patents and their role in supporting innovation.

Due to effective measures to improve its productivity, the European Patent Office (EPO) published 96 000 granted patents in 2016, which is 40% more than in 2015 and a new high mark in its history.

Carl Josefsson has commenced his role as the new President of the EPO Boards of Appeal (BoA).

The automated mail-box at the EPO’s headquarters in Munich (Isar building, Kohlstrasse) is being closed as from 1 April 2017.