Article 61

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

Report on the 184th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (Munich, 8 and 9 October 2025)

The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 184th meeting in Munich in a hybrid format on 8 and 9 October 2025 under its Chairperson Josef KRATOCHVÍL (CZ).

After the Chairperson's activities report, the Council noted the Office's quarterly activities report, which highlighted the developments under the five drivers of the SP2028. The Office reported improved quality and efficiency in the patent granting process, attributing these results to timely file handling, simplification of processes, and digitalisation. Productivity gains had surpassed the Financial Study's projection of 2.1% on average per year, with the 4.8% increase in 2024 underscoring the pivotal role of productivity in sustaining competitive fees, an attractive social package and long-term financial stability. As a result, the Office is closing the gap in long-term liabilities ahead of schedule.

The Office also highlighted the digitalisation of corporate services with the recent upgrade of the EPO's financial and HR system, and the progress in delivering the Building Investment Programme. Continued co-operation with European and international partners was reported, with a particular focus on the two-year anniversary of the launch of the EPO's Observatory.

The Council noted that the Quality Action Plan 2025 continued to yield positive results, as confirmed by the recent User Satisfaction Survey, and welcomed the Office's commitment to securing long-term financial sustainability, the increase in productivity combined with the high quality of products, as well as the ongoing dialogue with users. Finally, the Council noted that the Office had become the first international organisation to receive the European Commission's adequacy decision, recognising its high data protection standards in ensuring secure data flows.

The Council then noted the activities report of the President of the Boards of Appeal (PBoA) for 2025. Highlights included the steady progress towards the objective of having no more than 10% of pending cases older than 24 months by the end of 2025, this objective being also extended to 2026. The report covered also quality improvements and considerations on the use of AI-powered tools. The Council warmly thanked the Boards of Appeal staff for their excellent results. Further, the Council noted the report from the chairperson of the Boards of Appeal Committee (BOAC) on its recent meeting.

The Council took a number of decisions on individual appointments and unanimously decided to

• reappoint Mr Carl JOSEFSSON (SE) as the PBoA and to his judicial functions (Chairperson of the Enlarged Board of Appeal, legally qualified member of the Boards of Appeal and Chairperson of the Disciplinary Board of Appeal) for a third term of office of five years, with effect from 1 March 2027, with his term of office ending when he reaches the statutory retirement age;
• reappoint Mr Klaus BACHER (DE) as external member of the BOAC for a further renewable term of office of three years, with effect from 13 October 2025 to 12 October 2028;
• reappoint Ms Gabriella MUSCOLO (IT) and Mr Carlos GONÇALVES DE MELO MARINHO (PT) as alternate external members of the BOAC for further renewable terms of office of three years, with effect from 14 December 2025 to 13 December 2028;
• appoint Ms Vicky ROUSS-DOUCHY (FR) as alternate member of the BOAC for a renewable term of office of three years, with effect from 9 October 2025 to 8 October 2028;
• appoint Mr Markus MOHLER (CH) as Chair of the Disciplinary Committee established by the Administrative Council for a term of office of three years, with effect from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028; and
• reappoint Mr Peter BLOK (NL) and Ms Alicja ADAMCZAK (PL) as members of the Disciplinary Committee established by the Administrative Council for a term of office of three years, with effect from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.

The Council also decided on the reappointment and career progression of members of the Boards of Appeal and of the Enlarged Board of Appeal, based on recommendations by the PBoA.

The Council was updated on the latest Unitary Patent (UP) developments by the Office, which highlighted the growing uptake of the UP system since its launch in June 2023, with more than 70 000 requests received to date. Further updates were presented by the delegation of Denmark – the country holding the Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2025 – on its activities, with a continuing focus on the Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPC) system. The Council also took note of the upcoming contribution from the Office to the report on the UP system's functioning by the European Commission, as well as the information provided by some EU Member States that have not yet joined the UP system on the status of their respective accession processes. The Chair's call for regular updates in this regard in future Council meetings was also noted.

The Council unanimously decided to adopt the updated policy for negotiating and concluding validation agreements with non-European states and reaffirmed the policy's strategic importance as a means of expanding the reach of the European patent system, promoting international co-operation, and benefitting users.

Turning to personnel and policy matters, the Council unanimously adopted the proposal concerning the use of gender-neutral language in the EPO's legal instruments, aligning with the Office's broader diversity and inclusion goals.