Patents

Patent-intensive industries account for 16.1% of the EU GDP and and employ directly 23,571,234 million jobs (10.9% of all jobs in the EU). (Source: EUIPO/EPO)

A well-functioning patent system is essential for Europe’s competitiveness, innovation and job creation. Companies that seek to protect their innovations currently in Europe with a patent can either opt to do so only in one national market or designate a number of European markets through a common procedure managed by the European Patent Office in Munich. Going for more than one market means: extra translation costs, lawyer fees, additional administrative procedures and costs.

BusinessEurope considers the current European Patent Convention (EPC) system as the best option to promote the legitimate interest of innovative industries to protect their investments in valuable technical ideas. The EPC system and its high-level standards should therefore be guaranteed and promoted both in Europe and abroad. In no way these regulations and standards should be lowered or given up for the sake of trade negotiations.

Publications

Public letters Date
Compulsory licensing for crisis management - Letters from Markus J. Beyrer 01/02/2024
EPO oral proceedings by videoconference - Letter from T.Sueur to António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office 14/04/2020
Position papers Date
Proposals on Supplementary Protection Certificates - a BusinessEurope position paper 18/07/2023
Compulsory licencing for crisis management - a BusinessEurope position paper 18/07/2023
Draft agreement on cross-border aspects of client-patent attorney privilege - BusinessEurope comments 17/11/2022
Compulsory licensing in the European Union - BusinessEurope comments on the public consultation 27/09/2022
European business community urges for the rapid ratification and entry into force of the Unitary Patent System 12/10/2021
EPO consultation on an amendment to the rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal regarding oral proceedings by videoconference - BUSINESSEUROPE comments 27/11/2020
European business community calls for the rapid ratification and entry into operation of the European patent system - Joint statement by BUSINESSEUROPE, EUROCHAMBRES, orgalim and SMEunited 16/07/2020
The rapid entry into operation of the Unitary Patent system is key for Europe 22/04/2020
European business urges for the rapid entry into force of the Unitary Patent System 18/02/2020
Commission proposal on a supplementary protection certificate (SPC) manufacturing waiver for export purposes - BusinessEurope comments 15/01/2019
EPO consultation on user-driven early certainty (UDEC) proposal - BusinessEurope comments 08/02/2018
Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and patent research exemptions - BusinessEurope feedback to the European Commission public consultation 15/01/2018
Last updated: 15 September 2023