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FEES

Rules relating to Fees - Decisions

Abolition of payment by cheque

Applicants are informed that the Administrative Council adopted during the October session1 a change in the Rules relating to Fees2 concerning available payment methods.

The Administrative Council adopted the Office proposals to abolish cheques as a payment method as provided under Article 5(1)(c) RFees, and to reduce the number of bank accounts to one per contracting state by deleting Article 5(1)(b) RFees, which permits payment or transfer to a postal giro account held by the Office.

In consequence, payment by cheque delivered or sent direct to the EPO will no longer be accepted as from 1 April 2008.

With the same aim of improving efficiency and simplifying its banking relationships, the Office closed its postal giro accounts on 31 August 2007 (see OJ EPO 2007, 458)

From 1 April 2008, the fees payable to the Office are to be paid

- by payment or transfer to a bank account held by the Office in a contracting state, or

- via a deposit account held with the Office.