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The European Patent Convention

 
 
Table of Contents - The European Patent Convention
Convention on the Grant of European Patents (European Patent Convention)
Part XII Final provisions
Article 169 Entry into force
Article 169[174]
Entry into force 
Art. 178
(1)
This Convention shall enter into force three months after the deposit of the last instrument of ratification or accession by six States on whose territory the total number of patent applications filed in 1970 amounted to at least 180 000 for all the said States. 
(2)
Any ratification or accession after the entry into force of this Convention shall take effect on the first day of the third month after the deposit of the instrument of ratification or accession. 
 
[174] For Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and United Kingdom: 7 October 1977; Sweden: 1 May 1978; Italy: 1 December 1978; Austria: 1 May 1979; Liechtenstein: 1 April 1980; Greece and Spain: 1 October 1986; Denmark: 1 January 1990; Monaco: 1 December 1991; Portugal: 1 January 1992; Ireland: 1 August 1992; Finland: 1 March 1996; Cyprus: 1 April 1998; Turkey: 1 November 2000; Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia: 1 July 2002; Slovenia: 1 December 2002; Hungary: 1 January 2003; Romania: 1 March 2003; Poland: 1 March 2004; Iceland: 1 November 2004; Lithuania: 1 December 2004; Latvia: 1 July 2005; Malta: 1 March 2007; Croatia and Norway: 1 January 2008; former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 1 January 2009; San Marino: 1 July 2009; Albania: 1 May 2010; Serbia: 1 October 2010.
References
Art. 178