7.1.1 Legal provisions and notices

The practice for fixing the date of oral proceedings before the departments of first instance and the boards of appeal was published in a notice in OJ 2000, 456 ("the 2000 Notice"). The EPO's notice of 18 December 2008 (OJ 2009, 68) ("the 2008 Notice") adjusted the procedure for changing the date before the departments of first instance.

For proceedings before the boards of appeal, Art. 15(2) RPBA deals with the possibility of changing the date. It replaces Art. 15(2) RPBA 2007 and supersedes the notice of the Vice-President dated 16 July 2007 of the EPO ("the 2007 Notice"), OJ SE 3/2007, 115. Art. 15 RPBA entered into force on 1 January 2020.