Impressum

Responsible for content according to the Dutch law Telemedia Act (§5), which is an implementation of the Services Directive, which in turn corresponds to Art. 3:15d of the Civil Code.
SUEPO - IGEPA - USOEB - VEOB Central – Staff Union of the European Patent Office
 

Management of the IT infrastructure for the central office:
Mr Marc Sartor

Adress:
De Bruyn Kopsstraat, 15
2288 EC Rijswijk ZH
The Netherlands
Telefon: +31 (0) 70 412 9391
E-Mail: central (at suepo.org)
Web: https://suepo.org

Legal notice
SUEPO constantly checks and updates the information on its websites. We are responsible for our own content on these pages according to general laws. Despite all care, the data may have changed. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability or guarantee for the topicality, correctness and completeness of the information provided. According to §§ 8-10 TMG, we are not obligated to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information according to general laws remain unaffected. However, liability in this regard is only possible from the point in time at which a concrete infringement of the law becomes known. If we become aware of any such infringements, we will remove the relevant content immediately.
The linked pages were checked for possible legal violations at the time of linking. Illegal contents were not recognizable at the time of linking. However, a permanent control of the contents of the linked pages is not reasonable without concrete evidence of a violation of the law. If we become aware of any infringements, we will remove such links immediately.

The same applies to all other websites to which hyperlinks are provided. SUEPO is not responsible for the content of websites that can be accessed via such links.
Furthermore, SUEPO reserves the right to make changes or additions to the information provided.
The responsibility for the content of pages of subdivisions, divisions, specialist groups, groups of persons and status groups, regional districts, districts and local associations lies with the respective subdivisions and bodies.

Personal Data
Data protection plays a central role at SUEPO. That is why we have strict guidelines and procedures for handling your personal data.
Transmitted personal data from inquiries and letters, for example name, postal address, e-mail address or other personal information, will be electronically stored, processed and used by us only for the purpose specified in each case within the framework of the trade union political tasks. The regulations of the Federal Data Protection Act and the DSGVO apply. All transmitted data will be stored securely and will not be passed on to third parties.

About us

SUEPO, a union in the patent world

SUEPO stands for Staff Union of the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO has sites in Berlin, Munich, The Hague and Vienna. Likewise SUEPO is made up of four local sections at the four sites. Approximately 50% of the staff of the respective sites are members.

Because SUEPO effectively has four working languages (English, French, German and Dutch in The Hague) it also has French (Union Syndicale de l'Office Européen des Brevets -USOEB) and German (Internationale Gewerkschaft im Europäischen Patentamt - IGEPA) names. All employees of the EPO are free to become members of SUEPO, since the fundamental right of "freedom of association" is guaranteed by the EPO-Codex for every employee.

Since 1969

Just as the EPO evolved from the Institut International des Brevets (IIB), SUEPO was born in 1979 out of the Syndicat du Personnel de l'Institut International des Brevets (SP-IIB) which was founded in 1969.

We represent staff interests

In the first instance, SUEPO represents the interests of its members.

SUEPO takes particular care to maintain acceptable working conditions for the Staff of the European Patent Office. This concerns not only remuneration, but also a wide range of everyday aspects of working conditions at the EPO, such as working time, working pressure and ergonomics.

Unlike Labour Law in national civil services, the rules dictating employment conditions and rights at the EPO are determined by the Office's Administrative Council, a group of national representatives who oversee the running of the Office. These rules and rights in turn are set down in an internal Codex. The result is that a wide range of aspects of labour law normally regulated by national parliaments is determined by an organ with only limited accountability, be it only because of the fact that the supervision of the functioning of the Administrative Council is the responsibility of the parliaments of the Contracting States.

The result is that the Staff Union of the EPO is involved with issues which go beyond the scope of activities that are normally the work of Staff Unions at a national level.

The Staff Union of the European Patent Office is affiliated to the Union Syndicale Fédérale, which is a federation of staff unions which are active in institutions of the European Union as well as in other European and international organisations.

We also represent the public interest

Why?, you may ask. There are a number of reasons:

Public interest is our interest. The keyword is innovation. Innovation is the driving force behind the European economy and provides employment for our members.

We are in the best position to do it. Patenting is a complex issue and citizens must be better informed of the functioning and the relevance of patents.