EPO holds 20 high-level meetings during WIPO Assemblies

On the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies taking place in Geneva, the European Patent Office (EPO) held 20 meetings with partner offices from around the world.

European Patent Office (EPO) President António Campinos led an EPO delegation to this year’s Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which took place in Geneva from 8 to 17 July. On the sidelines of the Assemblies, the EPO held 20 meetings with intellectual property (IP) partner offices from all regions of the world.

Through these exchanges, the EPO reinforced its global partnerships and explored new areas of co-operation aimed at supporting a more accessible, efficient and interconnected patent system worldwide. Discussions focused on the continuous enhancement of patent quality, streamlining of procedures, and ongoing improvement of user services.

The EPO concluded a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO), extending its Reinforced Partnership and reaffirming its commitment to this strategic relationship. Additionally, the EPO signed bilateral work plans with the IP offices of Egypt and South Africa, paving the way for closer collaboration in the years ahead.

The EPO also hosted a meeting on validation, bringing together representatives from all six countries with which the EPO has a validation agreement in force, along with delegates from five additional national IP offices from around the world. The meeting marked 10 years of the validation system, which extends the benefits of the European patent system to countries outside the EPO, supporting innovators worldwide. Furthermore, the EPO and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) agreed to explore the establishment of a co-operation framework in the future. As a growing forum for regional integration, the CPLP offers potential to broaden the reach of the European patent system, with its member countries projected to include some 400 million people by 2050.

About the WIPO Assemblies

The WIPO Assemblies are the annual meetings of the General Assembly, Coordination Committee and other policy and decision-making bodies of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s 194 member states. This year’s meetings were held in a hybrid format, bringing together delegates to discuss recent developments and the future direction of the global IP system.