6. Technical fields searched 

Although not required by the EPC, the European search report includes the technical fields searched in the form of a list of IPC symbols describing them down to the sub-class level.

Where the search report is based entirely or partly on a previous search carried out for an application relating to similar subject-matter, the report displays the parts of the documentation consulted for this previous search as the ones consulted for the application in question, again by using the appropriate IPC symbols.