On September 25, 2018 EAPO President Saule Tlevlessova and President of the European Patent Office (EPO) Antonio Campinos signed Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation on the margins of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.

Based on the positive results of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding of 2013, the parties expressed their readiness to further enhance cooperation in such areas as exchange of experience in patent examination and administration procedures, training of personnel, automation of production processes, dissemination of patent information, data exchange, implementation of joint programs and projects.

In order to expand cooperation in the use of search engines and means of access to patent information Heads of the Eurasian and European regional offices signed an agreement on extension of the next period of the granting EAPO access to the EPO’s EPOQUE Net system.

Prior to signing the documents, the Parties discussed the priority areas for cooperation in the near future, in particular, exchange of experience in exaPrior to signing the documents, the Parties discussed the priority areas for cooperation in the near future, in particular, exchange of experience in examination of applications on biotechnological inventions, training of EAPO experts in complex multi-level training programs using EPOQUE, organization of joint events for European applicants on the Eurasian patent system and opportunities of accelerated procedure of applications filed with EAPO and the EPO in accordance with the PPH program.