User consultation on proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal
The Boards of Appeal Committee and the President of the Boards of Appeal invite users to participate in an online consultation on proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal.
Following the structural reform of the Boards of Appeal, the President of the Boards of Appeal formulated five-year objectives to reduce the number of pending cases to below 7 000 and to settle 90% of cases within 30 months by 2023. Having achieved the first of these objectives in 2022 with the second soon to be fulfilled, the Boards of Appeal will be able to pursue more ambitious timeliness objectives in the future while continuing to render decisions of the highest quality.
The envisaged gradual move to deal with cases as soon as they are transferred to the Boards of Appeal will provide users with increased legal certainty by allowing the Boards to settle cases more quickly and within more predictable timeframes. The proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal aim to provide the required modifications to the procedural framework to achieve this. Further details on the proposed amendments, which concern a shortening of the standard period for filing the reply to the statement of grounds of appeal as well as a strengthening of the position of parties in the application of the convergent approach, are provided in the consultation document.
The online consultation was launched today and is open for participation until 12:00 hrs CEST on 11 September 2023.
Contact
Nikolaus Obrovski
Jeannine Hoppe
Spokespersons of the Boards of Appeal
Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
Richard-Reitzner-Allee 8 | 85540 Haar | Germany
boa-press@epo.org
Related items
In 2022 the BoA settled 3 576 appeal cases and reduced the number of pending cases that are older than 30 months by 26.1% compared to 2021.
Have your say to help shape future editions
Acceleration of appeal proceedings under Article 10(3) to (6) of the Rules of Procedure of the BoA: conditions and supplementary information
The Administrative Council approved amendments to Articles 13(2), 15(1) and 15(9)(b) of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA).
The President of the Boards of Appeal publishes, before the beginning of each working year, a list of cases for the coming year.
Technical Board of Appeal 3.3.03 has by interlocutory decision T 438/19 referred questions to the Enlarged Board of Appeal.
The new building for the Boards of Appeal Unit of the EPO in Haar, Munich, was officially inaugurated yesterday.
Information for parties, parties' representatives and accompanying persons or visitors to the Boards of Appeal of the EPO
The oral proceedings in cases G 1/22 and G 2/22 ("Entitlement to priority") before the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal will be held on 26 May 2023. The p
The EBoA today issued decision G 2/21 and concluded that the term “plausibility” did not amount to a distinctive legal concept.
Annual review containing summaries of decisions from 2022 now available
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BoA will lift measures regulating the arrangement and conduct of oral proceedings from 1 February 2023.
Decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court on complaints against Boards of Appeal decisions
The German Federal Constitutional Court today published its decision on several constitutional complaints.
The oral proceedings in case G 2/21 (“plausibility”) before the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal will be held on 24 November 2022.
The President of the Boards of Appeal publishes, before the beginning of each working year, a list of cases for the coming year.
The tenth edition of the "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO" provides a comprehensive overview of this case law. I
Last year was again shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Boards of Appeal adapted their working methods to ensure access to justice.
New Case Law publication containing summaries of decisions in the language of the proceedings now published
BoA refers a question to the Enlarged Board of Appeal if a decision is required, in order to ensure uniform application of the law.
A new Code of Conduct for the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office will enter into force on 1 July 2022.