Communiqué from the Administrative Council

The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 120th meeting in Munich from 8 to 11 December 2009.

The procedure initiated in June 2009 to elect a new President of the European Patent Office was resumed but did not reach a conclusion. However, the information gained in the process led the Council to decide that the same procedure should continue - with the existing pool of candidates, reduced by the withdrawal of Jesper Kongstad (DK) - at an extraordinary Council meeting on 2 and 3 February 2010.

In view of Mr Kongstad's withdrawal, the Council noted that the conditions which had led it in June 2009 to adopt an interim chairing arrangement had ceased to exist. Mr Kongstad is therefore reinstated as deputy chairman with effect from 1 January 2010.

Recognising the undesirable consequences of prolonged uncertainty in respect of the election of a successor, the Council mandated its chairman to extend, for a period of not more than six months, the contract of the incumbent President, Alison Brimelow (GB). The Council noted that Ms Brimelow had made a clear commitment that, in the event of an early decision concerning her successor, she would leave the Office before the end of the agreed six-month period.