Article 57

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

Decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2018 amending Rule 154(1) of the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention and Article 4 of the Regulation on discipline for professional representatives (CA/D 6/18)

THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT ORGANISATION,

Having regard to the European Patent Convention (hereafter referred to as "EPC") and in particular Article 33(1)(c) thereof,

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

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

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Implementing Regulations to the EPC shall be amended as follows:

Rule 154(1) shall read as follows:

"(1) The entry of a professional representative shall be deleted from the list of professional representatives if he so requests or if, despite a reminder, he fails to pay the applicable annual subscription to the Institute within five months from either:
(a) 1 January for members on the list at that date; or
(b) the date of entry for members entered on the list after 1 January of the year for which the subscription is due."

Article 2

The Regulation on discipline for professional representatives shall be amended as follows:

Article 4 shall read as follows:

"A professional representative who fails to comply with the Rules of professional conduct may incur one of the following penalties:
(a) a warning,
(b) a reprimand,
(c) a fine not exceeding EUR 10 000,
(d) deletion from the list of professional representatives for not more than six months, (e) deletion from the list of professional representatives for an indefinite period."

Article 3

This decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2019.

Done at The Hague, 28 June 2018

For the Administrative Council

The Chairman

Christoph ERNST