When is the EPO competent to act as ISA?
3.1.3.2 Specification by the receiving Office
3.1.007The EPO can act as ISA only on condition that the receiving Office where the application was filed has specified the EPO as ISA.
3.1.008Since most receiving Offices have specified the EPO, only states that had not (yet) specified the EPO as ISA (and IPEA) on 1 January 2023 are mentioned here: United Arab Emirates (AE), Australia (AU), Canada (CA), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (KP), Republic of Korea (KR) and Papua New Guinea (PG). Up-to-date information is available on the WIPO website (see point 1.3.005).
3.1.009If the IB is acting as receiving Office, the EPO is competent as ISA/IPEA if the international application could have been filed with a receiving Office which had specified the EPO as ISA/IPEA at the date of filing.
Agreement EPO-WIPO, Art. 3(3)
OJ 2017, A115
OJ 2018, A24
OJ 2020, A35