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Promotion

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European Institutions

Department  5.1.5 is responsible for co-ordinating the EPO's relations with the European institutions (EIs), i.e. the European Commission (EC), the Council of Europe and the European Parliament (EP). It also liaises with several European NGOs based mainly in Brussels and representing IP stakeholders. These include UNICE (Union des Industries de la Communauté européenne), UEAPME (European Association of Craft Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises), EUREKA (a European network for market oriented R&D), EICTA (European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Associations), CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council), EuropaBio (European Association for Bioindustries), MSF (Médecins sans Frontières) and FFII (Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure).

Background

Relations with European institutions have over the last few years acquired an importance without precedent for the Office. They are central to many of the challenges that the Office is facing at present. Issues such as the Community patent, the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA), the London Agreement or the future of the European patent system, to cite some of the most relevant, cannot be treated in an isolated way and require extensive contacts and a common approach with the different EIs for progress to be made.

On the other hand, the EPO is itself one of the major world players when it comes to IP co-operation projects. This includes many EC funded projects both in Europe and in developing countries all over the world.

These subjects have been treated in the past in a rather unfocused and unco-ordinated way by the different EPO units. It is hoped that a more systematic approach will create synergies from the experience acquired, thereby allowing a better use of resources and optimising benefits both for the Office and its partners.

Objectives

• fostering a network of contacts with the EIs, notably the EC, the EP and the NGOs representing IP stakeholders;
• improving the EPO's visibility and an understanding of its role among the different EC units and the EP, and ensuring that the EPO's views reach the relevant decision makers by exchanging technical information and views on IP;
• co-ordinating the EC funded co-operation projects implemented by the Office. This means the early identification of EC calls for proposals on projects potentially interesting for the EPO and the European Patent Network (EPN), the preparation and submission of bids filed in response to these calls, contract negotiations with the EC and reporting in compliance with the EC rules and procedures.

Tasks

To achieve these objectives, the department endeavours to:

• propose a policy and strategy for the EPO's relations with the EIs
• maintain regular contacts with EC officials and Members of the European Parliament (EP MPs)
• exchange information and opinions concerning IP with the EIs (through official and  alternative channels)
• organise meetings between the President (and other EPO staff) and high-ranking EC officials and EP MPs
• organise, in co-ordination with PD 0.8, awareness events and campaigns
• screen and identify possible EU funded co-operation projects, including potential consortium partners
• draft and submit proposals to the EC, contracts and consortium agreements for EU funded projects
• provide support in setting up the administration management of these projects and reporting to the EC.

Milestones

The department was created in November 2005 and it is therefore perhaps too early to talk about real milestones. Nevertheless, some achievements can be reported:
 

• regular and positive relations with the EC's innovation DGs: DG Research, DG Enterprise and DG Information Society
• consolidation of relations with other EC DGs: DG External Relations, DG Enlargement and DG Culture
• consolidation of relations with the EP
• allocation of the "IP for Innovation" (ip4inno) project to the consortium led by the EPO
• start of common activities with EUREKA (joint publication of successful case studies, training seminar)

Staff

Team in Munich

• Valentín Mir Guillén
• Nicole Pompidou
• Katarina Lassova

Team in Brussels

• Jean-Luc Gal
• Massimo Corsi
• Sylviane Chapelle
• Maria Benitez

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