Carl Josefsson reappointed as President of the Boards of Appeal
EPO member states vote for additional term in office for President of the Boards of Appeal
At the 184th meeting of the Administrative Council, held today in Munich, the member states of the European Patent Organisation voted for another term in office for Carl Josefsson as President of the Boards of Appeal, with effect from 1 March 2027.
The Administrative Council also reappointed Carl Josefsson for an additional term as Chairperson of the Enlarged Board of Appeal, as a legally qualified member of the Boards of Appeal and as Chairperson of the Disciplinary Board of Appeal.
Carl Josefsson was appointed as the first President of the Boards of Appeal on 1 March 2017, following the entry into force of a comprehensive structural reform of the Boards of Appeal.
Carl Josefsson’s first two terms of office have been characterised by the implementation of this structural reform, which has strengthened judicial independence, as well as by measures taken to increase timeliness and reduce the number of pending cases. Important milestones have included a thorough revision of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal and the introduction of initiatives focussed on guaranteeing the high quality of decisions issued by the Boards. Carl Josefsson has also actively promoted regular exchanges with judicial counterparts and stakeholders to share knowledge and foster harmonisation in European patent law.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the measures introduced by Carl Josefsson have also contributed to reducing the number of pending cases in the Boards of Appeal from 9 000 in 2017, when he was appointed President, to below 2 800 in 2025. Over this period, timeliness has also notably improved, and the Boards are well on track to reach the objective that no more than 10% of pending cases will be older than 24 months.
Carl Josefsson stated: “I am very grateful to be part of a judiciary whose members have shown extraordinary commitment to ensure the high quality of our work and to improve timeliness for the benefit of the users of the European patent system. I am convinced that this professionalism and dedication has built a strong foundation for the judicial independence of the Boards of Appeal, which will enable us to tackle future challenges.”
Contact
Nikolaus Obrovski
Jeannine Hoppe
Spokespersons of the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office
[email protected]