As of today, a
new Ombuds Service
is available to support stakeholders who
experience difficulties in their dealings with the EPO and who have exhausted
the regular channels for resolution. The Ombuds Office acts as a
facilitator of these exceptional cases and helps get matters back on track in
an informal, confidential and neutral environment.
The new Ombuds service is part of the EPO's commitment to continuously improve its products and services for users and was devised using input from a recent stakeholder consultation. It complements existing services such as the complaints service and does not address matters that concern the Boards of Appeal.
Anyone who wishes to raise an issue with the Ombuds Office can do so by contacting ombuds@epo.org. Requests should include the stakeholder's full name, contact details and preferences, as well as a short and anonymised description of the issue the stakeholder wants to bring to the Ombuds Office's attention.
More information on the Ombuds Office, its processes, data handling and confidentiality is available on the Ombuds Office's page .