ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
Reports on meetings of the Administrative Council
Report on the 128th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (29 and 30 June 2011)
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 128th meeting in The Hague on 29 and 30 June 2011, with Jesper Kongstad (DK) in the chair.
Having noted the activities report from its chairman, the Council heard the activities report for the first half of 2011 given by the President, Benoît Battistelli. It congratulated the President together with the management and staff of the Office for the continuing good performance of the Office, and was particularly happy to hear that the social climate within the Office had significantly improved in the period under review. It welcomed the willingness both of the President and of staff representatives to pursue a constructive dialogue with a view to modernising the "social package" at the Office. The President announced that an "HR roadmap" would be submitted to the Organisation's governing bodies in autumn 2011.
The Council unanimously agreed to grant OHIM observer status at its meetings.
The Council decided to abolish its Audit Committee, this having as a consequence the termination with immediate effect (30 June 2011) of the appointments of the Audit Committee's members.
Bucura Ionescu (RO) was elected deputy chairwoman of the Technical and Operational Support Committee for a three-year term running from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2014.
The Council also made a series of appointments to the boards of appeal, namely:
- Michael Harrison (GB), appointed as a chairman of a board of appeal and as a technically qualified member of the Enlarged Board of Appeal, with effect from 1 August 2011;
- Denis Boulois (FR), appointed as a technically qualified member of the boards of appeal with effect from 1 October 2011;
- Damien Marquis (FR), appointed as a technically qualified member of the boards of appeal with effect from 1 October 2011;
- Renate Morawetz (IT), appointed as a technically qualified member of the boards of appeal with effect from 1 October 2011;
- Jochem Gröning (DE), appointed as a legally qualified member of the Enlarged Board of Appeal with effect from 1 October 2011.
Concerning co-operation with member states, the Council was informed that the Office, on the basis of the outcome of the discussions with the member states in Bratislava on 14 and 15 June 2011, would draw-up a "co-operation roadmap" to be submitted to the Organisation's governing bodies in autumn 2011.
Regarding buildings, the Council unanimously endorsed the President's proposal to construct a new building on the Office's site in The Hague.
Turning then to legal and international affairs, the Council first authorised the President to open negotiations on a co-operation and validation agreement with the Republic of Tunisia.
It then noted an oral progress report on the unitary patent, from the Hungarian delegation, representing the country holding the EU presidency in the first half of 2011, together with the action plan set out by the Polish delegation, on behalf of the incoming presidency, and further explanations provided by the representative of the European Commission.
With regard to automation, the Council unanimously approved the "IT roadmap" setting out the Office's strategic orientations in the field of IT systems for the period 2011-2015.
Concerning financial matters, budget and planning, having noted the oral report given by the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, Guus Broesterhuizen (NL), on the committee's 100th meeting (7 and 8 June 2011), the Council unanimously approved the Board of Auditors' report on the 2010 accounting period, and gave discharge to the President in respect of implementation of the 2010 budget and to the Administrator of the Reserve Funds for Pensions and Social Security in respect of fund management in 2010.
Finally, the Council gave a unanimous favourable opinion on the initial 2012 budgetary orientations presented by the Office.