Every application for a patent must contain an abstract. The effect of non-compliance with this requirement is dealt with in A‑III, 16.[Art. 78(1)(e); Art. 90(3); Rule 57(d); ]

A European application which contains more than fifteen claims at the time of filing the claims (see the paragraph below) incurs payment of a claims fee in respect of each claim over and above that number. For applications filed and international applications entering the regional phase on or after 1 April 2009, a higher amount is payable for each claim in excess of 50. The claims' order is their sequence at their time of filing.

The application must not contain statements or other matter contrary to "ordre public" or morality. Such matter may be omitted when the application is published, the published application indicating the place and number of words or drawings omitted. (Where drawings are omitted regard should be had to the physical requirements of A‑III, 3.2). The Receiving Section may check the description, claims and drawings to ascertain whether they contain offending matter.

The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the title accords with the provisions of the Implementing Regulations rests with the examining division. The search division will nevertheless take action and amend the title to avoid, if possible, the publication of applications having titles which obviously do not comply with the applicable EPC provisions (see also F‑II, 3).

7.1 Requirements

7.2 Responsibility