Next June, for the first time, "Search Matters" and "Examination Matters" - two major EPO conferences - will be held back to back in The Hague, making it easy to attend both.

"Search Matters", which will take place from 8 to 10 June 2016, is aimed chiefly at patent-search specialists, and comprises a combination of lectures and interactive workshops at which EPO patent examiners will share examples of best practice. Search strategies and techniques used by both examiners and participants will be discussed, as well as the use of various publicly accessible databases and search programs. A highlight of the event will be the at-the-desk sessions, which will give participants valuable opportunities to talk one on one with examiners from selected technical areas. For a list of the topics covered by this year's events visit www.epo.org/search-matters.

Then, on 14 and 15 June 2016, "Examination Matters" will give patent attorneys the chance to learn more about the EPO's patent examination processes through presentations and, especially, a large number of workshops. Face-to-face discussions with EPO examiners, lawyers and specialist European patent attorneys – extremely popular in the past – will give participants an opportunity to find out first-hand about the work of the examiner, technical and procedural aspects, as well as the latest developments in European patent law. For this year's programme visit www.epo.org/examination-matters. "Examination Matters" is organised with the support of the epi.