3.1 Invitation to indicate subject-matter for search 

If the search division considers that the application falls so short of the EPC requirements that it cannot carry out a meaningful search into the state of the art on the basis of all or some of the subject-matter claimed (see B‑VIII, 1, B-VIII, 2 and B-VIII, 3), it will invite the applicant to file, within two months, a statement indicating the subject-matter to be searched. The invitation will also give the reasons for this finding and may additionally indicate the claimed subject-matter on which the search division considers it feasible to base a meaningful search.

In the particular case of medical method claims, the search division issues a complete search report only when the claims can easily be reworded to comprise patentable subject-matter (see B‑VIII, 2.1). If, on the other hand, it plans to issue a partial search report (or a declaration of no search), it must first send an invitation (e.g. for the claims that cannot easily be reworded).