5.1.8.Accelerated prosecution of applications – the "PACE" programme 

5.1.036An effective request for early processing causes prosecution of the application by the EPO as designated/elected Office to be taken up before expiry of the 31-month time limit. However, a request for early processing does not lead to accelerated prosecution. Applicants who also want to request such accelerated prosecution of their application in the European phase must therefore submit a separate online request under the PACE programme upon entry into the European phase or later (EPO Form 1005). Such a request can be filed only once for each stage of the procedure. For Euro-PCT applications with a date of filing on or after 1 July 2014 for which a supplementary European search is carried out, the EPO strives under the Early Certainty from Search scheme to issue the extended European search report within six months of expiry of the period under Rule 161(2) EPC. Hence, no PACE request is needed. Accelerated examination can be requested at any time once responsibility for the application has passed to the examining division; see points 5.9.012-5.9.013). For Euro-PCT applications for which no supplementary European search is carried out because the EPO acted as (S)ISA, accelerated examination can, in principle, be requested at any time, for example on entry into the European phase or together with any response to the WO‑ISA, IPER or SISR required under Rule 161(1) EPC.