1.2 Further legal sources and instructions

An agreement between the European Patent Organisation and the International Bureau of WIPO ("Agreement EPO-WIPO") concerning the functioning of the EPO as International Authority (ISA, SISA and IPEA) sets out all particulars of the EPO's work in that capacity. The latest agreement, dated October 2017, entered into force on 1 January 2018 and has been amended several times since then. A consolidated version of the text as amended can be found on the WIPO website.²

Moreover, detailed instructions on the procedure to be followed by the PCT Authorities are given in the Administrative Instructions under the PCT ("PCT/AI"),³ the PCT Receiving Office Guidelines ("RO Guidelines", "GL/RO")⁴ and the PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines ("ISPE Guidelines", "GL/ISPE"),⁵ all of which are available on the WIPO website. The PCT‑EPO Guidelines are intended to be complementary to, but not a substitute for, these sources. In case of conflict, the PCT Administrative Instructions, the PCT Receiving Office Guidelines and the PCT International Search and Preliminary Examination Guidelines prevail.