ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
Reports on meetings of the Administrative Council
Report on the 130th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation - (14 and 15 December 2011)
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 130th meeting in Munich on 14 and 15 December 2011 under the chairmanship of Jesper Kongstad (DK).
The Council noted the activities reports presented by its chairman and by the President of the Office, Benoît Battistelli, and congratulated the President and all EPO staff on the Office's excellent performance in 2011.
After noting the oral report by the chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Academy of the European Patent Organisation, the Council approved a request by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) for observer status on the Technical and Operational Support Committee.
The Council noted the intention of the President to open a recruitment procedure for the vice-presidency DG 4, with a view to making an appointment at its March 2012 meeting. A recruitment procedure for the vice-presidency DG 2 was also to be opened in due course, with the aim of making an appointment before the end of June 2012.
The Council made three appointments to its Appeals Committee for 2012: Sten Niklasson (SE) as chairman, and Jean-Claude Combaldieu (FR) and Alfons Schäfers (DE) as members. It also noted that its chairman had received a list of members appointed by the staff representatives.
The Council then appointed Brigitte Günzel (DE) as legally qualified member of the Enlarged Board and of the boards, chair of the Legal Board and legally qualified member of the Disciplinary Board, and Martin Vogel (DE) as legally qualified member of the Enlarged Board and of the boards. Both appointments were to take effect on 1 July 2012, but end, in accordance with Article 23(1) EPC, on the last day of the month in which the appointees reach the age of 68. Eugène Dufrasne (BE) was appointed as chairman of a board and legally qualified member of the Enlarged Board with effect from 1 January 2012. Gianni Assi (IT), Michael Poock (DE) and Albert De Vries (NL) were appointed as chairmen of a board and technically qualified members of the Enlarged Board with effect from 1 February, 1 March 2012 and 1 April 2012 respectively. The Council also appointed Ingo Beckedorf (DE) as legally qualified member of the Enlarged Board with effect from 1 January 2012, Eleni Kossonakou (GR) as legally qualified member of the boards with effect from 1 March 2012, and Christof Schmidt (DE) as legally qualified member of the boards with effect from a date between 1 January 2012 and 1 July 2012 to be agreed between him and the President. Finally, Kemal Bengi-Akyuerek (TR/DE) was appointed as technically qualified member of the boards with effect from 1 February 2012.
Under legal and international affairs, the Council was pleased to note that Finland had ratified the London Agreement, which would also be entering into force for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 1 February 2012.
The Council noted the oral report of the chairman of the Committee on Patent Law on the committee's 40th meeting, held on 28 November 2011 in Munich, as well as the status report on the unitary patent delivered by the Polish delegation, representing the state holding the EU presidency in the second half of 2011, and the comments of the Danish delegation, representing the incoming presidency, on developments expected in the first half of 2012. The Council also approved a proposal that the President of the Office be authorised to enter into negotiations on a validation and co-operation agreement with the Republic of Moldova.
Under technical co-operation/information, the Council noted the oral report of the chairman of the Technical Operational and Support Committee, Josef Kratochvíl, on the committee's 74th meeting, held in The Hague on 16 and 17 November 2011. It approved the Co-operation Roadmap and the European Patent Office Quality Roadmap, set out in two general policy documents submitted by the President for decision.
Concerning pension matters, the Council noted the oral report given by the deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Reserve Funds for Pensions and Social Security, Matthias Bank, on the board's meeting in September 2011.
Under personnel/policy matters, the Council gave a favourable opinion, subject to the further elaboration and discussion of the proposals, on the Human Resources Roadmap submitted by the President.
Finally, with regard to financial matters, the Council noted the report by the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee on the committee's 101st and 102nd meetings, held in Berlin on 24-25 October 2011 and in Munich on 13 December 2011.
The Council then adopted the 2012 budget (amounting to EUR 1 825 780 000) and table of posts, approved the financial estimates for 2013-2016 and noted the planned costs for products and services in 2012.