Patents

Patent-intensive industries account for 16.1% of the EU GDP and and employ directly 23,571,234 million jobs (10.9% of all jobs in the EU). (Source: EUIPO/EPO)

A well-functioning patent system is essential for Europe’s competitiveness, innovation and job creation. Companies that seek to protect their innovations currently in Europe with a patent can either opt to do so only in one national market or designate a number of European markets through a common procedure managed by the European Patent Office in Munich. Going for more than one market means: extra translation costs, lawyer fees, additional administrative procedures and costs.

Publications

Public letters		Date
	Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Márton Nagy	30/10/2024
	Compulsory licensing for crisis management - Letters from Markus J. Beyrer	01/02/2024
	EPO oral proceedings by videoconference - Letter from T.Sueur to António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office	14/04/2020

Position papers		Date
	The EU proposal on compulsory licensing - Joint business statement	08/05/2024
	Proposals on Supplementary Protection Certificates - a BusinessEurope position paper	18/07/2023
	Compulsory licencing for crisis management - a BusinessEurope position paper	18/07/2023
	Draft agreement on cross-border aspects of client-patent attorney privilege - BusinessEurope comments	17/11/2022
	Compulsory licensing in the European Union - BusinessEurope comments on the public consultation	27/09/2022
	European business community urges for the rapid ratification and entry into force of the Unitary Patent System	12/10/2021
	EPO consultation on an amendment to the rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal regarding oral proceedings by videoconference - BUSINESSEUROPE comments	27/11/2020
	European business community calls for the rapid ratification and entry into operation of the European patent system - Joint statement by BUSINESSEUROPE, EUROCHAMBRES, orgalim and SMEunited	16/07/2020
	The rapid entry into operation of the Unitary Patent system is key for Europe	22/04/2020
	European business urges for the rapid entry into force of the Unitary Patent System	18/02/2020
	Commission proposal on a supplementary protection certificate (SPC) manufacturing waiver for export purposes - BusinessEurope comments	15/01/2019
	EPO consultation on user-driven early certainty (UDEC) proposal - BusinessEurope comments	08/02/2018
	Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and patent research exemptions - BusinessEurope feedback to the European Commission public consultation	15/01/2018