4.2.1 Deemed designation of all states designated in earlier application at the date of filing of divisional

According to Art. 76(2) EPC 1973, the European divisional application shall not designate contracting states which were not designated in the earlier application. Pursuant to Art. 76(2) EPC all the contracting states designated in the earlier application at the time of filing of a divisional application are deemed to be designated in the divisional application. For divisional applications filed after 1 April 2009, only one designation fee has to be paid (Art. 2(1), item 3 RFees); if this designation fee is not paid in due time, the application is deemed to be withdrawn (R. 36(4) EPC, R. 39(2) EPC).