View source for Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation

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|'''Chairmen of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation'''
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|1. '''[[Georges Vianès]]''' (19 October 1977 - 18 October 1981), [[France|French]].<ref>[[Official Journal of the European Patent Office]] (OJ EPO) 1/1978, ''Report on the inaugural meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (19-21 October 1977)'', p. 5.</ref><ref name="OJ 7/1981"> OJ EPO 7/1981, ''Report on the 11th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (2 to 4 June 1981)'', p.&nbsp;199.</ref>
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|2. '''[[Ivor J. G. Davis]]''' (19 October 1981 - 18 October 1984), [[United Kingdom|British]].<ref name="OJ 7/1981"/><ref name="OJ 7/1984"> OJ EPO 7/1984, ''Report on the 18th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (5 to 8 June 1984)'', p.&nbsp;293.</ref>
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|3. '''[[Otto Leberl]]''' (19 October 1984 - October 1987), [[Austria]]n.<ref name="OJ 7/1984"/><ref name="OJ 11/1987"> OJ EPO 11/1987, ''Report on the 27th (extraordinary) meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (8 October 1987)'', p.&nbsp;473.</ref>
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|4. '''[[Albrecht Krieger]]''' (October 1987 - 18 October 1990), [[Germany|German]].<ref name="OJ 11/1987"/><ref name="OJ 8/1990"> OJ EPO 8/1990, ''Report on the 37th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (26 to 29 June 1990)'', p.&nbsp;333.</ref>
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|5. '''[[Jean-Claude Combaldieu]]''' (19 October 1990 - 18 October 1993), French.<ref name="OJ 8/1990"/><ref name="OJ 1-2/1994"> OJ EPO 1-2/1994, ''Report on the 50th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (7 to 10 December 1993)'', p.&nbsp;1.</ref>
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|6. '''[[Per Lund Thoft]]''' (19 October 1993 - 30 November 1995), [[Denmark|Danish]].<ref name="OJ 1-2/1994"/><ref name="OJ 1-2/1996"> OJ EPO 1-2/1996, ''Report on the 60th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (4 to 8 December 1995)'', p.&nbsp;3.</ref>
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|7. '''[[Julián Álvarez-Álvarez]]''' (1 December 1995 - 4 March 1997), [[Spain|Spanish]].<ref name="OJ 1-2/1996"/><ref name="OJ 4/1997">OJ EPO 4/1997, [http://www.european-patent-office.org/epo/pubs/oj97/4_97/1_497.pdf ''Report on the 66th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (Munich, 5 March 1997)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021214008/http://www.european-patent-office.org/epo/pubs/oj97/4_97/1_497.pdf |date=21 October 2007 }}, p.&nbsp;129.</ref>
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|8. '''[[Sean Fitzpatrick (chairman)|Sean Fitzpatrick]]''' (5 March 1997 - March 4, 2000), [[Ireland|Irish]].<ref name="OJ 4/1997"/><ref name="OJ 7/2000">OJ EPO 7/2000, [http://www.european-patent-office.org/epo/pubs/oj000/7_00/7_3070.pdf ''Report on the 80th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (6 to 8 June 2000)''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022001044/http://www.european-patent-office.org/epo/pubs/oj000/7_00/7_3070.pdf |date=22 October 2007 }}, p.&nbsp;307.</ref><ref name="SwissIP">[[Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property]] web site, [http://www.ige.ch/e/archiv/2000/a101.shtm ''EPO: victory for Switzerland''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217084122/http://www.ige.ch/e/archiv/2000/a101.shtm |date=February 17, 2007 }}, [[Bern]], October 15, 1999. Consulted on March 24, 2008.</ref>
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|9. '''[[Roland Grossenbacher]]''' (March 5, 2000 - March 4, 2009), [[Switzerland|Swiss]].<ref name="OJ 7/2000"/><ref name="SwissIP"/> <sup>a</sup>
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|10. '''[[Benoît Battistelli]]''' (March 5, 2009 - June 30, 2009), French.<ref name="epo111208">EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2008/20081211.html ''Benoît Battistelli to head the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217084226/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2008/20081211.html |date=2008-12-17 }}, News, December 11, 2008. Consulted on December 11, 2008.</ref>
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|10a. '''''[[Alberto Casado Cerviño]]''' (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010) (Chairman ad interim), Spanish.<ref name="composition">EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/about-us/epo/administrative-council/composition.html European Patent Organisation → Administrative Council → Composition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517034752/http://www.epo.org/about-us/epo/administrative-council/composition.html |date=2008-05-17 }}. Consulted on November 21, 2009.</ref>''
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|11. '''[[Jesper Kongstad]]''' (July 1, 2010 - September 30, 2017), [[Denmark|Danish]].<ref name="epo290610">European Patent Office website, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2010/20100629.html ''Jesper Kongstad elected Chairman of Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703112337/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2010/20100629.html |date=2010-07-03 }}, News, June 29, 2010. Consulted on June 30, 2010.</ref><ref name="epo260313">{{cite web |url=http://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2013/20130326.html |title=Re-election of the Chair of the Administrative Council |date=26 March 2013 |publisher=European Patent Office |accessdate=April 6, 2013 |archive-date=28 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328221104/http://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2013/20130326.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
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|12. '''[[Christoph Ernst]]''' (October 1, 2017 - October 2018), German.<ref name="juve-29.06.2017">{{cite news|url=http://www.juve.de/nachrichten/namenundnachrichten/2017/06/europaeisches-patentamt-deutscher-wird-neuer-chef-des-verwaltungsrats|title=Europäisches Patentamt: Deutscher wird neuer Chef des Verwaltungsrats|language=German|trans-title=European Patent Office: German becomes new head of the Administrative Council|first1=Mathieu|last1=Klos|first2=Christina|last2=Schulze|date=29 June 2017|work=JUVE|publisher=JUVE Verlag für juristische Information GmbH|accessdate=9 July 2017|archive-date=8 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708223359/http://www.juve.de/nachrichten/namenundnachrichten/2017/06/europaeisches-patentamt-deutscher-wird-neuer-chef-des-verwaltungsrats|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="heise-30.06.2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Europaeisches-Patentamt-Deutscher-loest-Daenen-an-Verwaltungsratsspitze-ab-3760240.html|title=Europäisches Patentamt: Deutscher löst Dänen an Verwaltungsratsspitze ab|trans-title=European Patent Office: German replaces Dane at the head of the Administrative Council|last=Krempl|first=Stefan|date=30 June 2017|work=heise online|publisher=Heise Media|language=German|accessdate=9 July 2017|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630201124/https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Europaeisches-Patentamt-Deutscher-loest-Daenen-an-Verwaltungsratsspitze-ab-3760240.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epo.org/about-us/governance/communiques.html#a39|title=157th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (Munich, 10 and 11 October 2018)|date=12 October 2018|publisher=Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation|accessdate=17 October 2018|location=Munich|quote=Finally, the Council took note of Christoph ERNST's resignation, with immediate effect, from his position as Chairman of the Administrative Council.|archive-date=18 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018003210/https://www.epo.org/about-us/governance/communiques.html#a39|url-status=live}}</ref>
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|13. '''[[Josef Kratochvíl (civil servant)|Josef Kratochvíl]]''' (January 1, 2019 - ), Czech.<ref>{{cite web |title=Josef Kratochvíl elected Chairman of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation |url=https://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2018/20181212.html |website=epo.org |publisher=European Patent Office |accessdate=13 December 2018 |date=12 December 2018 |archive-date=1 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501183407/https://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2018/20181212.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Klos |first1=Mathieu |title=Administrative Council announces new chairman |url=https://www.juve-patent.com/news-and-stories/people-and-business/administrative-council-announces-new-chairman/ |publisher=Juve Patent |accessdate=13 December 2018 |date=13 December 2018 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222107/https://www.juve-patent.com/news-and-stories/people-and-business/administrative-council-announces-new-chairman/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Report on the 157th and 158th meetings of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation (10 and 11 October 2018 and 12 and 13 December 2018 respectively) |journal=Official Journal of the European Patent Office |date=31 January 2019 |issue=January 2019 |page=A1 |url=https://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/official-journal/2019/01/a1.html |publisher=European Patent Office |quote=...the Council unanimously elected Josef KRATOCHVÍL (CZ) as its Chairman for a term of 3 years, starting on 1 January 2019. |access-date=6 October 2020 |archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731025507/https://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/official-journal/2019/01/a1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
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|<sup>a</sup> ''After he stepped down, Roland Grossenbacher was made "Honorary Chairman" of the Administrative Council''.<ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20090401.html ''"A special tribute to a special chairman"''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410183431/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20090401.html |date=2009-04-10 }}, News, 1 April 2009. Consulted on April 3, 2009.</ref>
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The '''Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation''' is one of the two organs of the [[European Patent Organisation]] (EPOrg), the other being the [[European Patent Office]] (EPO).<ref>{{EPC Article|4|2}}</ref> The Administrative Council acts as the Organisation's supervisory body<ref name="4(3)"/> as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative body.<ref name="art33">{{EPC Article|33}}</ref><ref name="Gowers134"/> The actual legislative power to revise the [[European Patent Convention]] (EPC) lies with the Contracting States themselves when meeting at a Conference of the Contracting States.<ref>{{EPC Article|172}}</ref> In contrast, the EPO acts as executive body of the Organisation.<ref name="4(3)">{{EPC Article|4|3}}</ref><ref name="Gowers134">[http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/E/pbr06_gowers_report_755.pdf Gower's Report on Intellectual Property] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319012329/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/E/pbr06_gowers_report_755.pdf |date=2008-03-19 }}, para 1.34</ref>
== Composition and competences ==
The Administrative Council is composed of Representatives of the Contracting States<ref>{{EPC Article|26|1}}</ref> and is responsible for overseeing the work of the European Patent Office,<ref name="4(3)"/> ratifying the budget and approving the actions of the President of the Office.<ref name="Gowers134"/> The council is also competent for amending the Implementing Regulations of the EPC and some provisions of the Articles of the EPC.<ref name="art33"/> Each Contracting State on the Administrative Council has one vote,<ref>{{EPC Article|34}}</ref> except under certain circumstances provided for by {{EPC Article|36}}.
The Chairperson of the Administrative Council is responsible for the work of the council and its function.<ref>Article 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the Administrative Council, as amended by the [http://documents.epo.org/projects/babylon/eponet.nsf/0/69665AAE88C7677AC125729C00585128/$File/CAD06008_en.pdf Decision of the Administrative Council of 7 December 2006 revising the Rules of Procedure of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919185855/http://documents.epo.org/projects/babylon/eponet.nsf/0/69665AAE88C7677AC125729C00585128/$File/CAD06008_en.pdf |date=19 September 2017 }}.</ref> The Chairperson also presides over the meetings of the council.<ref>Article 4(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the Administrative Council.</ref>
Under {{EPC Article|28}}, the Administrative Council has set up a Board composed of five of its members,<ref>{{EPC Article|28|1}}</ref><ref name="interview">[[Managing Intellectual Property]], ''Fees may rise as EPO stresses quality'' (Interview: Roland Grossenbacher), February 1, 2008</ref> including the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and three other members elected by the Administrative Council,<ref>{{EPC Article|28|2}}</ref> to perform duties assigned by the Administrative Council.<ref>{{EPC Article|28|4}}</ref> The Board is informally called "Board 28", named after Article 28 EPC, and as of 2008 was carrying out a "workload study", i.e., a study on how to manage the workload facing the EPO.<ref name="interview"/>
The Administrative Council is in charge of appointing the President of the EPO.<ref>{{EPC Article|11|1}}</ref> A majority of three-quarters of the votes of the Contracting States represented and voting is required for appointing the President of the EPO.<ref>{{EPC Article|35|2}}</ref> Reaching a decision on the appointment of a President was difficult in 2003,<ref>EPO web site, [https://web.archive.org/web/20040227015758/http://www.european-patent-office.org/news/pressrel/2003_06_06_e.htm ''President Kober's mandate extended at the EPO''], Press releases, June 6, 2003 (archived version on archive.org).</ref> leading to a split tenure (as a result of a compromise, [[Alain Pompidou]] (France) was elected for three years and [[Alison Brimelow]] (United Kingdom) succeeded him for an equal term),<ref>Anjana Ahuja, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article1001655.ece ''An obstacle to the patently obvious''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006002620/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |date=2020-10-06 }}, The Times, October 27, 2003. Consulted on December 13, 2009.</ref><ref>EPO web site, [https://web.archive.org/web/20040227015527/http://www.european-patent-office.org/news/pressrel/2003_10_30_e.htm ''Election of the President of the European Patent Office''], Press releases, 30 October 2003 (archived version on archive.org).</ref><ref>Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) web site, [http://www.cipa.org.uk/pages/EPO_deadlock ''EPO deadlock broken at last''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716103231/http://www.cipa.org.uk/pages/EPO_deadlock |date=July 16, 2011 }}, CIPA News, 30 October 2003. Consulted on December 13, 2009.</ref><ref>Marc Broyde, Paul M. Clarkson, [http://www.internationallawoffice.com/Newsletters/detail.aspx?g=77939ab6-729d-4b19-b6f4-2f81d6872e72 ''Who Runs the European Patent Office?''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713050251/http://www.internationallawoffice.com/Newsletters/detail.aspx?g=77939ab6-729d-4b19-b6f4-2f81d6872e72 |date=2011-07-13 }}, Intellectual Property Newsletter, December 8, 2003. Consulted on December 13, 2009.</ref> and was difficult again in 2009, requiring twenty votes and four meetings.<ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20091030.html ''Decision on next EPO President deferred''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227054305/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2009/20091030.html |date=December 27, 2010 }}, News, 30 October 2009. Consulted on December 12, 2009.</ref><ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/patents/updates/2009/20091211.html ''Communiqué from the Administrative Council''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215081027/http://www.epo.org/patents/updates/2009/20091211.html |date=2009-12-15 }}, Updates, December 11, 2009. Consulted on December 12, 2009.</ref><ref>{{in lang|de}} Stefan Krempl, [http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Fuehrungskrise-beim-Europaeischen-Patentamt-884215.html ''Führungskrise beim Europäischen Patentamt''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213201901/http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Fuehrungskrise-beim-Europaeischen-Patentamt-884215.html |date=2009-12-13 }}, heise online, 11.12.2009 18:23. Consulted on December 12, 2009.</ref><ref>EPO web site, [http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2010/20100203a.html ''EPO President - election procedure suspended''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205124351/http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2010/20100203a.html |date=February 5, 2010 }}, News, 3 February 2010. Consulted on December 6, 2010.</ref><ref name="nurton-2010">James Nurton, [http://www.managingip.com/Article/2404423/How-the-EPO-race-was-won.html ''How the EPO race was won''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308043231/http://www.managingip.com/Article/2404423/How-the-EPO-race-was-won.html |date=2010-03-08 }}, Managing Intellectual Property, Weekly News, 1 March 2010. Consulted on March 6, 2010.</ref> When voting, a lot of the members of the Administrative Council are reportedly working under instructions from their respective government, whereas the governments "can have many motivations for supporting one person rather than another."<ref name="nurton-2010"/>
== Criticism==
The [[Staff Union of the European Patent Office]] (SUEPO) has criticized the Administrative Council as being in a [[conflict of interest]] situation:
{{cquote|The heads of the national delegations in the Administrative Council are almost without exception heads of their respective national patent offices. For many of the national offices their 50% share of the [[renewal fees]] constitutes a very substantial proportion of their annual budget (in several cases well over 50%). In their function as heads of national offices these heads of delegation thus have an interest in having many patents granted, and having them granted quickly.<ref>SUEPO, Central Executive Committee, [http://www.iam-magazine.com/Blog/Articles/SUEPOComments.pdf ''Re.: IAM blog - Comments on SUEPO''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713000506/http://www.iam-magazine.com/Blog/Articles/SUEPOComments.pdf |date=2011-07-13 }}, su08163cl - 2.04.6b/6, December 15, 2008, p 4. (on the [[Intellectual Asset Management]] website)</ref>}}
==See also==
* [[Art. 23 1/15, Art. 23 2/15 and Art. 23 1/16]], decisions relating to the suspension of a member of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
*[https://www.epo.org/about-us/governance/administrative-council.html Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation] on the European Patent Office web site
*[https://www.epo.org/about-us/governance/documentation/ac-documents.html Administrative Council documents] (search interface)
*[https://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/epc/2020/e/aci_iv.html Part I, Chapter IV, of the European Patent Convention: "The Administrative Council"]
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[[Category:European Patent Organisation]]