ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
Reports on meetings of the Administrative Council
Report on the 136th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (26-27 June 2013)
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation held its 136th meeting in Munich on 26 and 27 June 2013, with Jesper Kongstad (DK) in the chair.
Having noted its chairman's activities report, the Council heard a report from the President, Benoît Battistelli, on recent developments at the European Patent Office. It was very pleased to hear that the positive trends outlined in previous reports had continued, and congratulated the President, his management team and EPO staff on the outstanding results achieved.
Under general affairs, the Council unanimously decided to authorise the President to sign, on behalf of the Organisation, working agreements on search co-operation with San Marino and Lithuania. It also unanimously decided to grant Montenegro observer status on both the Technical and Operational Support Committee and the Committee on Patent Law (Montenegro already had observer status on the Administrative Council).
Under appointments and elections, the Council was reminded that the deputy chairmanships of the Administrative Council and Budget and Finance Committee will become vacant in December 2013; ideally, the elections to these positions should take place at the October 2013 Council meeting. A new member of the Board of Auditors must also be appointed, at the latest at the December 2013 meeting.
The Council then made a number of appointments to the boards of appeal:
- Andreas Haderlein (AT), as technically qualified member with effect from a date to be fixed in consultation with Vice-Presidents DG1 and DG3;
- Ambrogio Usuelli (IT), as technically qualified member with effect from a date to be fixed in consultation with Vice-Presidents DG1 and DG3;
- Paula San-Bento Furtado (PT/GB), as technically qualified member with effect from a date to be fixed in consultation with Vice-Presidents DG1 and DG3;
- Ronald de Man (NL), as technically qualified member with effect from a date to be fixed in consultation with Vice-Presidents DG1 and DG3;
- Klaus Schenkel (ES), as technically qualified member subject to Article 8 of the Service Regulations and with effect from a date to be agreed upon between him and the President of the Office.
On EPO buildings, the Council, endorsing the recommendation made by the international jury which had evaluated the bids received following an international restricted tender, authorised the President to negotiate and conclude a design and construct contract for a new main building on the Rijswijk site with a consortium of four companies belonging to the Group TBI (led by HEVO B.V.), which for this project will co-operate with two leading architectural firms, namely Ateliers Jean Nouvel (Paris) and Dam & Partners Architecten (Amsterdam).
On staff matters, the Council noted the social report for 2012, and also approved a set of amendments to the Service Regulations aiming first at improving working conditions and well-being at the EPO and second at establishing a clear legal framework for strikes and unauthorised absence.
Concerning financial matters, budget and planning, the Council noted the oral report given by Serafeim Stasinos (GR), chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, on the committee's 106th meeting (29-30 May 2013), and unanimously approved the 2012 accounts. In consequence, and as recommended by the Board of Auditors in their report on 2012, it unanimously discharged the President in respect of his implementation of the 2012 budget, and the Administrator of the Reserve Funds for Pensions and Social Security in respect of his fund management in 2012.
The Council then gave a unanimous favourable opinion on the initial 2014 budgetary orientations presented by the Office.
Lastly, the Council paid tribute to Guus Broesterhuizen, outgoing head of the Netherlands delegation and former chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee.