5. Relevant date for documents cited in the search report; filing and priority date
5.1 Verification of claimed priority dates
Where the validity of a priority claim cannot be verified at the search stage (see B‑XI, 4), the filing date of the European patent application accorded by the Receiving Section must be taken as the relevant date for the search. (However, see B‑VI, 3 on the relevant date for the search for conflicting applications.)