OJ EPO 2008, 521

THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT ORGANISATION,

Having regard to the European Patent Convention and in particular Article 33, paragraph 2(d), thereof,

Having regard to the Rules relating to Fees,

On a proposal from the President of the European Patent Office,

Having regard to the opinion of the Budget and Finance Committee,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

(1) The fees for the international search and for the international preliminary examination carried out on international applications under Article 2, items 2 and 19, of the Rules relating to Fees shall be reduced by 75% if the international application or the demand for international preliminary examination is filed by a natural person who is a national of and resident in a state which is not a contracting state to the European Patent Convention, and which, on the date of filing of the application or of the demand, is listed as a low-income or lower-middle-income economy by the World Bank. ^[ 1 ]

(2) If there are several applicants, each must satisfy the criteria set out in paragraph (1).

Article 2

The decision of 11 October 2000 (OJ EPO 10/2000, 446) shall be set aside.

Article 3

This decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2009 and shall apply, with respect to the reduction in the international search fee, to all international applications filed on or after that date, and, with respect to the reduction in the international preliminary examination fee, to all demands for international preliminary examination filed on or after that date.

Done at Munich, 21 October 2008

For the Administrative Council

The Chairman

Roland GROSSENBACHER