• Patents
• About us
• Topics

Print version.

Promotion

New treaty improves employment conditions at European Patent Office in The Hague and paves way for future development of EPO site

The Hague, 27 June 2006 - The European Patent Organisation and the Netherlands have concluded a new Seat Agreement for the branch of the European Patent Office at The Hague. The documents were signed today by the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Bernard Rudolf Bot, and the President of the EPO, Professor Alain Pompidou.

"The new agreement paves the way for the future development of the EPO's branch at The Hague by creating the security necessary for the smooth functioning of our operations here", said Mr Pompidou at the signing ceremony in the Rolzaal of the Netherlands Parliament building. "It gives our staff certainty and clarity over a number of important aspects of their daily lives and is the result of constructive co-operation between the EPO and the Netherlands authorities".

With 2 500 employees, the EPO's branch at The Hague is the largest international organisation in the Netherlands. The site located in Rijswijk is responsible for granting European patents on the basis of examinations carried out by the EPO's patent examiners and hosts one of the world's largest collections of technical and scientific data.

The Seat Agreement between the Netherlands and the European Patent Organisation governs the rights and obligations of both parties deriving from the presence of the EPO and its staff in the Netherlands. Among the issues negotiated were the right to gainful employment of family members, identity cards for all EPO employees and residence permits.

The EPO and its staff have in recent years encountered a number of problems in these areas, as have other international organisations located in the Netherlands, mainly because of changes in national legislation and new practices that have indirectly affected these organisations and their employees.

In early 2005, Professor Pompidou stated that the signing of a new Seat Agreement was one of his highest priorities. According to Thomas Hammer, head of the EPO's branch at The Hague, "the new Seat Agreement is the result of intensive negotiations. It provides a valuable basis for decisions concerning the future of our site in terms of financial and human resources and infrastructure investment".

The EPO, which has its headquarters in Munich, is entirely self-financed by procedural and annual patent renewal fees. Through its patent granting activities it makes a significant contribution to the Netherlands economy. According to Mr Hammer, "The EPO and its staff spend about 350 million euros per year in the Netherlands".

For further information please contact:

European Patent Office
Sabine Lunau
Tel.: +3170/3404822
e-mail: slunau@epo.org