The scope of the international search is defined in Art. 15(4), stipulating that the International Searching Authority must endeavour to discover as much of the relevant prior art as its facilities permit and must, in any case, consult the documentation specified in the PCT Regulations (Rule 34). It follows from this definition ("as its facilities permit") that the scope of an international search is equivalent to that of a European search. International and European searches are thus fully identical in scope.[Art. 15(4); Rule 34; ]

See also ISPE Guidelines 15.18 and ISPE Guidelines 15.20.