Appointment of SACEPO members for the period 2024 to 2026

On 26 February 2024, 165 members were appointed to the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO). Every three years the composition of SACEPO is renewed, along with that of its five working parties, which cover quality; e-patent-process; rules; guidelines; and patent documentation and information respectively. The latest appointments cover a three-year term from 2024 to 2026, with some members sitting in more than one working party.

SACEPO is the EPO's main advisory body and primary source of user feedback. It brings together representatives of industrial property associations and industry federations from all over the world, as well as representatives of European and international patent attorney associations. In addition, the EPO President appoints other recognised experts in the patent field, as well as representatives of public research organisations and SMEs, as ad personam members of SACEPO. 

Members meet regularly to discuss major issues relating to the development of the European patent system, and to help identify opportunities for improvement in the areas covered by the working parties. The feedback gathered is channelled into ongoing dialogue with users globally and the continuous improvement of our products and services. This includes improvements that have been made within the framework of our SP2023. In close co-operation with SACEPO we will continue to build upon everything achieved during the past four years under SP2023 in the next strategic plan.

More inclusive membership

Membership of SACEPO has expanded significantly in recent years, and the EPO looks forward to welcoming user representatives from Europe and all other continents. These include representatives from EPC contracting states and, in a reflection of the importance and worldwide outreach of the European patent system: Canada; the US; Mexico; Colombia; Chile; Brazil; Argentina; South Africa; Zimbabwe; Angola; Nigeria; Tunisia; Morocco; Jordan; Saudi Arabia; Israel; India; Thailand; Indonesia; China; Korea; Japan; and Australia. The full list of newly appointed members was published today on the dedicated webpage below.

Transparent dialogue

Regular reports on each SACEPO meeting are also published on the SACEPO webpage below. Reports on the activities of the SACEPO Working on quality for example include the latest updates on Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels (SQAPs), which are central to establishing a shared understanding of quality. A full round-up of all SACEPO activities is provided in our annual Quality Report.

Continuous user dialogue is also maintained through regular meetings with stakeholders, independent user satisfaction surveys, online public consultations and our customer service portal. Thanks to valuable input via these channels, the EPO is able to continually improve its products and services and develop initiatives that meet evolving applicant needs.