The boards of appeal can examine the facts of the case of their own motion pursuant to Art. 114(1) EPC and verify whether or not Art. 113 EPC has been complied with by the departments of first instance (see e.g. T 186/02).
Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/caselaw/2019/e/clr_iii_b_2_1.htm
Date retrieved: 17 May 2021