"THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT ORGANISATION,
Having regard to the Act revising the Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 29 November 2000 (Revision Act, MR/3/00 Rev. 1) and the decision of the Administrative Council of 28 June 2001 adopting the new text of the European Patent Convention (EPC 2000),
Having regard to the decision of the Administrative Council of 12 December 2002 adopting the Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000,
Considering that amendments of the Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000 as adopted on 12 December 2002 are necessary and useful in the light of more recent developments,
Having regard to the European Patent Convention (EPC), and in particular Article 33(1)(b) thereof, On a proposal from the President of the European Patent Office,
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Patent Law,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
The Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000 shall be amended to read as shown in the Annex to this decision.
Article 2
The Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000 shall apply to all European patent applications, European patents, decisions of departments of the European Patent Office and international applications, in so far as the foregoing are subject to the provisions of the EPC 2000. However, Rule 62 shall only apply to European patent applications and international applications entering the European phase filed on or after 1 July 2005.
Article 3
This decision shall enter into force upon entry into force of the revised text of the European Patent Convention in accordance with Article 8 of the Revision Act and amend the Implementing Regulations adopted by the decision of the Administrative Council of 12 December 2002.
Done at Munich, 7 December 2006"
After of the revision of the articles of the EPC by the Diplomatic Conference in 2000, a complete overhaul of the EPC Implementing Regulations was carried out. The original version of new Implementing Regulations to the EPC 2000 was adopted by the Administrative Council on 12 December 2002.
Amended Implementing Regulations for EPC 2000 as agreed by the Administrative Council at its meeting on December 07, 2006, are available online:
Diplomatic Conference in 2000, a complete overhaul of the EPC Implementing Regulations was carried out. The