The IPEA receiving the demand should ensure that it is competent to act as IPEA.[Art. 31(6)(a); Art. 32; Rule 59.3; ]

Although the EPO's competence as an IPEA is not restricted to international applications from EPC contracting states, restrictions of various nature limit its competence.

In particular, the EPO is competent to act as IPEA only if the international search was carried out by the EPO or by the Austrian, Finnish, Spanish, Swedish or Turkish patent office, the Nordic Patent Institute (NPI) or the Visegrad Patent Institute (VPI).[OJ EPO 2017, A115; OJ EPO 2018, A24; ]