Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
SACEPO is the EPO's main advisory body and is consulted on all major issues relating to the development of the European patent system.
- About SACEPO
The Standing Advisory Committee before the European Patent Office (SACEPO) was formed in 1978 on the initiative of the first President of the EPO, Bob van Benthem, to involve user representatives in the development of the European patent system. The regular engagement of external stakeholders in the framework of the SACEPO is a valued part of the EPO’s commitment to transparency. The SACEPO enables the EPO to gather feedback from users to better respond to their needs and remain agile in managing the changing demands and conditions of a dynamic and global patent system.
Membership is comprised of representatives from leading industrial property associations and industry federations from all over the world, as well as representatives of European and international patent attorney associations. In addition, the President of the EPO also appoints recognised experts in the field of IP law as ad personam members of the SACEPO. Membership has expanded significantly in recent years, and the EPO now welcomes a group of 132 engaged, active and vocal users representing 24 associations from all over the world, as well as 58 ad personam members, reflecting the EPO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The members of the SACEPO are nominated for a three-year term of office. The current term of office runs from 2024 to 2026.- Useful links
European associations
BusinessEurope
epi – European Patent Institute
FEMIPI - European Federation of Intellectual Property Agents in Industry
Union-ip – UNION of European Practitioners in Intellectual PropertyWorldwide associations
AIPPI – International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
FICPI – International federation of intellectual property attorneysOverseas associations
AIPLA – American Intellectual Property Law Association
ASIPI - Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property
IPO - Intellectual Property Owners Association
JIPA - Japan Intellectual Property Association
JPAA - Japan Patent Attorneys Association
KINPA - Korea Intellectual Property Association
SACEPO and its Working Parties
Five Working Parties have been established within the framework of the SACEPO to address particular areas.
Members' area
For SACEPO Members - everything about SACEPO Main and SACEPO Working Party meetings in one place
Go to members' areaMeetings
SACEPO members meet regularly to discuss major issues relating to the development of the European patent system.
Upcoming and past meetingsUpdates
Preview versions of the EPC, PCT-EPO and UP Guidelines 2025 are published as of today. Our annual user consultation is now open for your feedback.
Guidelines on EPC, PCT-EPO and Unitary Patent to be the most comprehensive ever
Outlook on maintaining highest standards in the patent granting process
Experts address common challenges, promote best practices and underline the crucial importance of clarity to the European patent system
SACEPO meeting on the second basket of legal changes, uses of AI in the patent granting process and the convergence of practice programme
18 technical panels with a total of 61 assessors provide diverse perspectives on over 100 files
Members of the SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines provide input on the drafts for 2025
The EPO prepares for the next Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels in October 2024
Users convene to exchange with EPO on quality, digital transformation, legal changes and the Unitary Patent
Users consulted on new products and services in patent intelligence
The first SACEPO Working Party on Quality meeting of 2024 focused on the EPO's Quality Action Plan initiatives and the vital role of user feedback
SACEPO WP/G evaluates the results of the consultation on the Guidelines 2024 and its revision cycle
Newly composed SACEPO Working Party on Rules meets for its first meeting in the 2024-2026 cycle, focussing on proposals supporting quality
President António Campinos appoints 165 user representatives to the EPO’s main advisory body
Members discuss multiple topics including Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels, EPO quality audits and User Satisfaction Survey
Towards a full digital transformation and PGP simplification
Members filed 187 comments, helping to finalise the 2024 Guidelines editions
SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines discusses users’ comments and improvements
Members of SACEPO Working Party on Rules discussed latest changes