Chapter IV – The Administrative Council
Article 33 22
Competence of the Administrative Council in certain cases
A revised version of the European Patent Convention entered into force on 13 December 2007. The provisions of the revised Convention apply unless the transitional provisions provide for the applicability of the EPC 1973. |
(1) The Administrative Council shall be competent to amend the following provisions of this Convention:
(a) the time limits laid down in this Convention; this shall apply to the time limit laid down in Article 94 only in the conditions laid down in Article 95;
(b) the Implementing Regulations.
(2) The Administrative Council shall be competent, in conformity with this Convention, to adopt or amend the following provisions:
(a) the Financial Regulations;
(b) the Service Regulations for permanent employees and the conditions of employment of other employees of the European Patent Office, the salary scales of the said permanent and other employees, and also the nature, and rules for the grant, of any supplementary benefits;
(c) the Pension Scheme Regulations and any appropriate increases in existing pensions to correspond to increases in salaries;
(d) the Rules relating to Fees;
(e) its Rules of Procedure.
(3) Notwithstanding Article 18, paragraph 2, the Administrative Council shall be competent to decide, in the light of experience, that in certain categories of cases Examining Divisions shall consist of one technical examiner. Such decision may be rescinded.
(4) The Administrative Council shall be competent to authorise the President of the European Patent Office to negotiate and, with its approval, to conclude agreements on behalf of the European Patent Organisation with States, with intergovernmental organisations and with documentation centres set up by virtue of agreements with such organisations.
22See decisions/opinions of the Enlarged Board of Appeal G 5/88, G 7/88, G 8/88, G 6/95, G 1/02, G 2/02 and G 3/02 (Annex I).