EPO and CNIPA celebrate 40 years of co-operation at bilateral meeting in Porto

EPO President António Campinos and CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu with delegations from both offices at the annual bilateral heads of office meeting on 22 September 2025 in Porto. 

On 22 September, the President of the European Patent Office (EPO), António Campinos, and the Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Shen Changyu, held their annual bilateral meeting in Porto. This year’s meeting marked 40 years of close co-operation between the two offices.

The two offices renewed their Memorandum of Understanding on the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) for another three years, until 31 December 2028. They also agreed to extend for a further five years, until 30 November 2031, their pilot programme under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) framework, which allows Chinese applicants to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA). These agreements underline the long-standing value of the partnership and will strengthen collaboration in patent classification, while improving the quality and efficiency of international patent services for applicants.

Reflecting on four decades of co-operation, the heads of office highlighted key achievements and reaffirmed their shared commitment to supporting innovators. They exchanged views on developments within the IP5 framework, a forum in which the world’s five largest IP offices, work together to harmonise procedures and enhance the global patent system.

Marking the anniversary, President Campinos highlighted the strength of collaboration: “For 40 years, the EPO and CNIPA have cultivated one of the most productive partnerships in the global IP system. This anniversary not only celebrates our shared history and achievements but also underlines our continued commitment to serving innovators in the future.”

40 years of successful co-operation on patents

Bilateral co-operation between the EPO and CNIPA began in 1985 with the signing of the first formal agreement between the two offices. Over the years, collaboration expanded significantly to cover all aspects of the patent system, leading to the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017.

The CNIPA received more than 1.8 million patent applications in 2024. China is now the fourth most active country of origin for applications at the EPO, with over 20 000 filings from Chinese applicants in 2024 (10% of the total), and strong growth in recent years. Chinese innovators are also making increasing use of the Unitary Patent to protect their inventions in Europe. In 2024, unitary protection was requested for 17.9% of European patents granted by the EPO to Chinese patentees, up from 10.9% in 2023.