António Campinos reappointed President of the European Patent Office

Munich, 29 June 20 22 - The member states of the European Patent Organisation have voted to reappoint the President of the European Patent Office (EPO), António Campinos, for a further five years commencing 1 July 2023. The decision was taken at a meeting of the organisation's Administrative Council held today in Munich.

A Portuguese national, António Campinos was appointed as EPO President on 1 July 2018. Under his leadership the EPO launched its Strategic Plan 2023 in 2019, focusing on sustainability and delivering the highest quality services to its users and the public.

During his first tenure Mr Campinos has steered the EPO through a sweeping digital transformation, with staff switching rapidly to large-scale teleworking back in March 2020. Beyond the efficiency gains triggered by new online workflows and tools, digital transformation is also delivering major benefits for users. The large-scale use of videoconferencing for oral hearings in patent cases, for instance, gave patent applicants access to justice during the pandemic.

By ramping up its consultation with users, the EPO has also redoubled efforts to maintain and enhance the quality of its products and services in recent years, while embedding sustainability more deeply across all aspects of its operations.

Commenting on his reappointment, Mr Campinos said: "It's been a privilege to serve for a first term and I am honoured by this second mandate. I am looking forward to working with all colleagues and stakeholders, who have been so instrumental in our achievements to date and play a crucial role in helping us to build a global patent system that meets the needs of the innovation community."

The Administrative Council meeting also included a presentation of the EPO's Annual Review 2021 , with member states fully endorsing the solid progress made by the Office towards achieving the five goals of its Strategic Plan 2023.

Notes to editors

About the European Patent Organisation

The European Patent Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation set up on the basis of the European Patent Convention (EPC), which was signed in Munich in 1973 and entered into force on 7 October 1977. The Organisation currently has 38 member states - all of the 27 EU members, plus Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Its task is to oversee the granting of European patents under the EPC by the European Patent Office.

About the Administrative Council

The Administrative Council, made up of the delegations from all member states, is the Organisation's legislative body. It is responsible for supervising the activities of the Office, approving the budget and appointing the President of the EPO.

About the EPO

With 6 400 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.

Media contacts European Patent Office

Luis Berenguer Giménez
Principal Director Communication, Spokesperson

EPO Press Desk
Tel. +49 89 2399 1833
press@epo.org