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Malta becomes 32nd member state of European Patent Organisation

Munich , 1 March 2007 - The European patent system continues to grow: Malta's accession to the European Patent Convention brings the number of member states in the European Patent Organisation to 32, including all the member states of the European Union. Apart from the Organisation's member states, its observer states Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia also recognise European patent applications and patents on their territory. European patents are therefore valid in 37 countries and reach a market of about 560 million people.

The dynamic growth in the European Patent Organisation underscores the importance of the European patent system for the European economy. According to Professor Alain Pompidou, President of the European Patent Office (EPO): "European patents play a central role in implementing the Lisbon Strategy, and particularly in building up a knowledge society in Europe. Malta's membership means that patent protection can now be obtained for the whole of Europe. However, a Community patent system providing unitary protection throughout the EU internal market still does not exist".

The EPO uses a centralised procedure to examine European patent applications for the member states of the European Patent Organisation. Set up in 1977, the EPO has its headquarters in Munich with branches in The Hague, Berlin and Vienna and employs around 6 700 staff. In 2006, it received over 200 000 patent applications and granted over 60 000 patents.

Further information:
Rainer Osterwalder
Press Spokesman
+49 89 2399-1820
press@epo.org

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