ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
Reports on meetings of the Administrative Council
Report on the 66th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (Munich, 5 March 1997)
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 66th meeting in Munich on 5 March 1997.
Following the resignation of its Chairman Mr Julián ÁLVAREZ ÁLVAREZ (ES), who has been appointed by the Spanish government to a different post, the Council elected the head of the Irish delegation, Mr Sean FITZPATRICK, as its new Chairman for a three-year term with effect from 5 March 1997. Mr Roland GROSSENBACHER (CH) was elected the Council's Deputy Chairman.
The Council authorised the President at his request to enter into negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with a view to concluding an agreement on the basis of the existing co-operation and extension agreements. Similar agreements have already been concluded with Albania, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia.
The Council also approved the results agreed by the EPO, JPO and USPTO at the 14th annual Trilateral Conference in The Hague on 15 November 1996 with a view to harmonising patent information policy and patent granting practice.
The Council approved the proposed amendments to the Regulation on the Establishment of an Institute of Professional Representatives before the EPO (see decision on p. 130).
The Spanish and Luxembourg delegations informed the Council that their respective parliaments have ratified the Act revising Article 63 EPC.