EPO meets with German Chamber of Patent Attorneys

Christoph Ernst, EPO Vice-President Legal and International Affairs (middle left) with Christof Keussen, PAK President (middle right) with the EPO and PAK delegation

On 6 June, the European Patent Office (EPO) hosted a delegation led by the President of the Chamber of Patent Attorneys (PAK) at its headquarters in Munich for a bilateral meeting.

Vice-President Legal and International Affairs Christoph Ernst and a team of EPO experts met with representatives of the Munich-based PAK, led by its President Christof Keussen.

Building on the 2023 exchange, the bilateral meeting provided an opportunity to explore recent and future developments in the European patent system. Marking the 125^th anniversary of the patent attorney’s profession, the meeting also enabled the EPO to gather direct user feedback. This valuable insight will support ongoing efforts to enhance quality and patent system accessibility.

Quality journey continues

The exchange primarily focused on the EPO’s quality initiatives, such as the 2025 Quality Action Plan, which prioritises investments in recruitment, training and new tools – including AI-based tools – to support examiners and formality officers in their daily work. The PAK delegation commended the EPO’s targeted quality actions to sustain excellence throughout the patent granting process, highlighting the positive impact resulting from the increased early dialogue with applicants during the examination phase and the Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panel (SQAPs).

Reformed European Qualifying Examination (EQE)

Additional discussions covered the implementation of the modernised EQE, with the introduction of Paper F in March 2025 representing the first step in the phased reform. The reform will continue to see the gradual introduction of new modules in 2026, with the transition to the new EQE due to be completed by 2027.

Towards an enhanced innovation ecosystem

Underlining the recent findings of the EPO’s economic study on Patents and Technology Standards, the PAK was presented with the latest initiatives of the Observatory on Patents and Technology aimed at fostering evidence-based discussions on innovation.

More about the PAK

The Chamber of Patent Attorneys (PAK) is a public law corporation in Germany that has represented the interests of patent attorneys since 1993. Membership in the PAK is mandatory for all patent attorneys practicing in Germany. Today, the Chamber advocates on behalf of over 4 000 members—approximately one-third of all qualified European patent attorneys before the European Patent Office—making it the largest national body of patent attorneys in Europe.