Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation re-elects Chairperson

The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation convened for its 168th meeting on Wednesday 13 October 2021. At the meeting the Council members re-elected Josef Kratochvìl (CZ) as its Chairperson for another three-year term in office commencing in January 2022. They also re-elected Johannes Karcher (DE) as the Deputy Chairperson to the Committee on Patent Law, as well as appointing a new Boards of Appeal Committee member.

The meeting agenda included an activities report by the President of the European Patent Office, highlighting the Office's substantial progress with SP2023 to date, despite the unprecedented challenges of the past two years. Praising strong teamwork by staff, the President underlined the continued success of internal job mobility, lively discussions on quality – both among staff and with stakeholders – and positive developments in European and international co-operation activities. An update was also provided on the progress of the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court, which was welcomed by member states and user representatives present.

The Council also approved a proposal to modernise the European Patent Academy, aimed at turning it into a benchmark for excellence in intellectual property training. With a focus on offering digital training that can be customised by users and expanding the Academy's learning portfolio, the new structure will also create ample opportunities for co-operation with member states. A document on plans to modernise the EPO Data Protection Framework was also presented to the Council. Delegates from several Member States congratulated the Office on its impressive achievements and steady advances towards its strategic goals in a difficult environment.

The Administrative Council is scheduled to hold its next meeting on 14-15 December 2021.