EUROPEAN PATENT CONVENTION 1973 - Table of Contents CONVENTION PART X - INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PURSUANT TO THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY Article 153 - The European Patent Office as a designated Office

Article 153 104 The European Patent Office as a designated Office

Art. 18, 149, 156 R. 107

(1) The European Patent Office shall act as a designated Office within the meaning of Article 2(xiii) of the Cooperation Treaty for those Contracting States to this Convention in respect of which the Cooperation Treaty has entered into force and which are designated in the international application if the applicant informs the receiving Office in the international application that he wishes to obtain a European patent for these States. The same shall apply if, in the international application, the applicant designates a Contracting State of which the national law provides that designation of that State shall have the effect of the application being for a European patent.

(2) When the European Patent Office acts as a designated Office, the Examining Division shall be competent to take decisions which are required under Article 25, paragraph 2(a), of the Cooperation Treaty.

104 See Legal advice No. 10/92 rev. (Annex II).