28 March 2012
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation, with the support of the President of the EPO, Benoît Battistelli, today appointed Željko Topić to the position of vice-president at the EPO. The 52-year-old Croat will be in charge of the EPO's Directorate-General Administration. He succeeds Brian McGinley of Ireland, who has retired. The appointment is for five years.
Mr Željko Topić has been representing his country on the Administrative Council since 2004, as head of the Croatian delegation. Croatia became a full member of the Organisation at the start of 2008. He has been the Director General of the State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia since 2004. This body, originally known as the Republic Industrial Property Office, was created on 31 December 1991 after Croatia gained its independence. In 1996, its portfolio was broadened to include copyright and other IP rights, and its name changed to State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia.
The Administrative Council is the European Patent Organisation's legislative body. Made up of delegations from the 38 member states, it is responsible for supervising the activities of the EPO, the Organisation's executive branch, approving the EPO's budget and appointing its senior managers, including the President and vice-presidents.
Directorate-General Administration is in charge of support services such as Human Resources, General Administration, Buildings and Facility Management, and the Language Service.
