30.03.2026
The European Patent Office released a preview of the updates to the Guidelines for Examination, set to take effect on 1 April 2026. As a core reference for applicants, representatives, and examiners, these revisions will influence daily practice and the conduct of proceedings before the EPO.
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In the linked PDF, we highlight the key updates to the Guidelines, placing them in context, and indicating their practical implications for practitioners. Such updates include:
Part A - new Chapters XII–XV provide detailed, route‑specific guidance on entering the European phase.
These chapters replace former Chapter E‑IX (Euro‑PCT) and consolidate material previously found in the Euro‑PCT Guide; at the same time, the Euro‑PCT Guide, the European Patent Guide, and the Unitary Patent Guide have been discontinued.
Parts B and F have been updated to reflect the Enlarged Board of Appeal decision, G 1/24, and Part G has been updated to reflect the Enlarged Board of Appeal decision, G 1/23.
Parts D, E and G have been amended to emphasise the free evaluation of evidence and to remove references to the former binary approach to the standard of proof (“up-to-the-hilt” versus “balance of probabilities”).
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