https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/office/mission

Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy

Mission

As the patent office for Europe, we are proud to deliver high-quality patents and efficient services that foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth.

Vision

We will empower and motivate our staff to set worldwide standards in intellectual property. Our Office will be effective and transparent, respond to the needs of our users and be agile in managing the changing demands and conditions of a dynamic global patent system. Our work will contribute to a safer, smarter and more sustainable world.

Values

All our relationships within our Office and with partners around the world will prosper through trust, fairness, mutual respect, adaptability, collaboration and a commitment to excellence.

Read the handbook for workplace ethics

Business slogan

Committed to excellence

Corporate policy

7.5.2021

At the EPO, our commitment to quality defines our products and services. It is our overall goal to contribute to a safer, smarter and more sustainable world. We are focused on being effective and transparent, responding to the needs of our users and being agile in managing the changing demands and conditions of a dynamic global patent system.

As a means of achieving excellence, we are developing an all-time learning organisation which empowers and motivates its diverse and knowledgeable staff to set worldwide standards in intellectual property. We invest in technology to modernise and simplify our processes and focus on the agility, reliability and security of our systems. We aim at providing all staff with a modern working environment meeting state-of-the-art sustainability, health and safety standards.

We are therefore including the following principles in building our integrated management system that will incorporate recognised international management standards in Quality (ISO 9001), Environment (EMAS Regulation), Occupational Health and Safety (ISO 45001), Information Security (ISO 27001) and more.

We develop our talent and share our knowledge

  • We recruit the best talents and continually invest in the competencies of our staff.
  • We recognise our talented and diverse workforce as a key competitive advantage. Our business success is a reflection of the quality and skill of our people.
  • We are a knowledge-based organisation. We promote and facilitate knowledge sharing inside and outside the organisation.

We keep our staff and visitors healthy and safe

  • We prevent injury and ill health of our staff and the people in our premises by applying the highest standards of health and safety protection.
  • We promote prevention over cure.
  • We embed health and safety aspects in the daily business operations.

Digital transformation is our lever to success

  • We invest in a data-driven and fully digitalised EPO to build an engaged, knowledgeable and collaborative organisation.
  • We gain deep understanding of stakeholders' priorities and embed their feedback into a continuous delivery cycle to create tools that offer an optimal user experience.
  • We offer our mobile workforce reliable, effective and secure tools and workflows that can be accessed from anywhere at any time. We give staff flexibility in where and when they choose to work from and offer a workspace where they want to spend time working, collaborating and networking.

We secure and protect our data

  • We ensure confidentiality thanks to proper data integrity measures.
  • Personal data is protected according to the highest standards.
  • We proactively and continuously assess and monitor internal and external risks impacting the security of information and respond effectively.

Our orientation is one of quality and service

  • We deliver reliable, efficient and effective services for the benefit and satisfaction of all users of the European patent system and European society. Continual improvement in all activities is vital for the organisation’s ongoing success. We provide legal certainty to our users in a manner fully consistent with the applicable legal framework, in particular the EPC. We do so in an efficient and timely way.
  • We commit to the fair and equitable treatment of our suppliers, co-operating with qualified providers to manage risks and drive continuous improvements in the standards of performance and quality through the delivery of goods and services.
  • We adopt best practices and standards, and monitor our compliance to regulatory requirements regarding the environment, health and safety, information security and our local communities.

We all collaborate and aim for partnerships

  • Together we nurture an ecosystem of topic-specific communities of practice that enrich existing structures.
  • We value and encourage user feedback and respond to the needs and expectations of user communities.
  • We foster co-operation with and among our member states, as well as national patent and IP offices and organisations worldwide, along with other international organisations outside the patent system.

We work in a transparent way while being accountable

  • We are transparent about our performance, including in the domains of quality, health & safety, environment and social responsibility.
  • We keep all stakeholders informed of the latest status of the issues affecting them.
  • We promote a culture of personal responsibility.

We manage risks and take a pro-active attitude

  • We manage a comprehensive overview of risks that can impact the Office's strategic and operational objectives.
  • We recognise that adapting to a constantly changing environment makes the organisation stronger – and that risks and opportunities are often interlinked.
  • We recognise the need to ensure that our business operates smoothly and without interruption for the benefit of its users, the general public and other stakeholders.

We act responsibly aiming for our long term sustainability

  • We proactively manage our financial sustainability in the best interest of the organisation and its current and former staff.
  • We take our social responsibility seriously and fulfil our role as a responsible public institution by utilising our resources to generate benefits for local citizens and society as a whole.
  • We strive to provide a sustainable work environment for staff and people working on our premises, and remain committed to reducing our environmental footprint in all aspects of our operations.