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ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

Decisions of the Administrative Council

Decision of the Administrative Council of 7 December 2006 amending the Rules relating to Fees

THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT ORGANISATION,

Having regard to the Act revising the Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 29 November 2000 (Revision Act, MR/3/00 Rev. 1) and the decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 adopting the new text of the European Patent Convention (EPC 2000),

Having regard to the decision of the Administrative Council of 7 December 2006 adopting the Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000,

Having regard to the European Patent Convention (EPC), and in particular Article 33(2)(d) thereof,

On a proposal from the President of the European Patent Office,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Patent Law,

Having regard to the opinion of the Budget and Finance Committee,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Rules relating to Fees as revised in the light of the EPC 2000 shall be worded as set out in the annex1 to this decision.

Article 2

1. The revised Rules relating to Fees shall enter into force on the same date as the revised text of the European Patent Convention.

2. The Rules relating to Fees of 20 October 1977 and the previous decisions of the Administrative Council amending the Rules relating to Fees of 20 October 1977, including their transitional provisions, shall be repealed from the date of the entry into force of the revised Rules relating to Fees.

3. The revised Rules relating to Fees shall apply to payments of fees made from the date of their entry into force. However, in the case of payments made before that date, the Rules relating to Fees in force at that time continue to apply.

Done at Munich, 7 December 2006

For the Administrative Council

The Chairman

Roland GROSSENBACHER