Overview

The EPO provides high-quality patents and efficient services that foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth. It enables inventors, researchers and companies from around the world to obtain protection for their inventions. Through its services, the EPO provides access to the largest single source of technical information in the world, with databases containing millions of patent documents.

Mission and focus areas

The EPO is committed to excellence and quality in everything it does. By granting patents of the highest quality, the organisation contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals towards achieving a safer, smarter, and more sustainable world, fostering innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth in technologies of transformation. Under its Strategic Plan 2028, the EPO aims for sustainability, with people, technologies, high-quality products and services, partnerships, and financial sustainability as the five drivers for building a more sustainable patent office.

Structure and governance

The EPO is an intergovernmental organisation set up on 7 October 1977. Its quality management is certified under ISO 9001, covering products and services related to patent delivery and international co-operation. The organisation includes the Boards of Appeal, which provide independent review of EPO decisions. It also operates an Observatory on Patents and Technology dedicated to outreach and research on technology trends.

Programs and offerings

The EPO offers a range of services including patent searching via Espacenet, the European Patent Register, and the European Publication Server. It manages the patent grant process, including the Unitary Patent system. It provides digital tools through MyEPO services and is moving toward a fully digital patent granting process by 2027.

Mission

As the patent office for Europe, we are proud to deliver high-quality patents and efficient services that foster innovation, competitiveness and economic growth.