Who can use the title "European patent attorney" or "professional representative before the European Patent Office"?

For persons entered on the list of professional representatives before the EPO, the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (OJ EPO 1979, 452) and the Council of the Institute of Professional Representatives (epi) (Recommendation of the Council concerning the title (professional designation) dated 22 October 2022) recommend the use of the following professional titles:  

• Europäischer Patentvertreter; Zugelassener Vertreter vor dem EPA 

• European Patent Attorney 

• Mandataire en brevets européens 

Entry on the list of professional representatives before the EPO is constitutive (Article 134(5) EPC). You have to make a request for entry and prove that you fulfil the following requirements (Article 134(4) EPC): 

• you are a national of an EPC contracting state 

• you have a place of business or employment in an EPC contracting state 

• you have passed the European qualifying examination 

In the event of the accession of a new EPC contracting state, Article 134(3) EPC applies.