During its March meeting, the Administrative Council (the Supervisory  Body) of the EPO passed a resolution making a number of requests to the Mr Battistelli, President of the EPO. None of the changes that Mr Battistelli will table to the June meeting of the Administrative Council (AC) comply with these requests.

The reforms proposed by Mr Battistelli - if adopted by the Council - will further increase the discretionary powers of the President over EPO staff and their representatives (new investigation regulations, new disciplinary procedures, post-service employment restrictions) and reduce the independence of the Boards of Appeals (reform of DG3). In short, the new proposals are bad for staff and bad for the EPO.

In spite of the many proposals tabled by SUEPO in the (recent) past and of the clear request of the Administrative Council, SUEPO - representing 50% of staff, was not even approached by the President to re-open discussions about a Memorandum of Understanding.

By acting this way, Mr Battistelli shows a blatant disregard not only for staff but also for the representatives of the EPO Member States. 

• “Who should pay for the independence of the Boards of Appeal? Why the users, of course!” (IPKAT, 31 May 2016).
• “Patent scandal: US outmaneuvered on UN agency investigation” (Fox News, 27 May 2016).
• “EPO’s president has bike brakes ‘cut’” (WIPR, 27 May 2016).
• “Euro Patent Office prez's brake line cut – aka how to tell you're not popular” (The Register, 26 May 2016). Translations are available in French and German.
• “Despite a year of conflict, the EPO is still rated as number one for quality and service by IAM readers” (IAM, 26 May 2016).
• [VIDEO] “Sinnloser Patentschutz” (ZDF, 24 May 2016).
• [VIDEO] “La guerra dei brevetti” (RAI TV, 15 May 2016).
• “Does the UPC spell disaster for the EPO Boards of Appeal?” (IPKAT, 12 May 2016).
• “Do you want to be a UPC judge? Application process now open!” (IPKAT, 11 May 2016).
• “Merpel prowls further around the corridors of the EPO” (IPKAT, 10 May 2016).

The results of the 2016 EPO Staff Survey by Technologia are now available. With a participation rate of 39% this third edition allows to assess reliably the current situation and the development of psychosocial risk among EPO staff under Mr Battistelli’s presidentship. The situation and the trend are worrying.

Most important findings are available in the “Executive Summary” (also available in German, French and Dutch). Other relevant information has been gathered in a summary presentation (also available in German and French).

The raw results to all questions (compared with the results of the 2010 and 2013 editions) are also available in three languages:  English, German and French.

No progress has been made on staff’s claims (see e.g. last call for strike “Lawfulness at the EPO”). There is also no sign that Mr Battistelli intends to respect the March resolution of the Administrative Council. On the contrary: new controversial reforms are planned (EPO health insurance, dismissal procedure, post-employment obligations), some already for decision in the next meeting of the Administrative Council on 29-30 June. In order to flag the lack of progress to the Administrative Council, a demonstration at all four places of employment is planned for Thursday 9 June. The demonstration will coincide with the EPO European Inventor Award ceremony in Lisbon.

On 27 April 2016, the Federation of International Civil Servants' Association (FICSA) sent a letter to the Federation de la Fonction Pbulique Européenne (FFPE) regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 2 March 2016 between the EPO and the FFPE-EPO.

On Wednesday 11 May 2016, a demonstration will take place in Munich (Germany) starting from the Kurt Haertel passage at 12.15h and ending at the French consulate.

The French MP Philip Cordery, reported in a blog post dated 25 April 2016 about a joint letter (written with other French MPs: Pierre-Yves Le Borgn', Richard Yung, Claudine Lepage, Jean-Yves Leconte and Hélène Conway-Mouret; link to an archived version), dated 21 April 2016, to the French Minister of Economic Affairs Emmanuel Macron. The letter was sent "in order to demand once again that France take action towards a reform of the management of this international organization".

Translations of the blog post are available in English, German and Dutch (by scrolling through the document).

Translations of the letter are also available in English, German and Dutch.

• “Patentamtsstreit beschäftigt auch Audi” (Donaukurier, 20 April 2016), only in paper version. Translations of the interview with the former constitutional judge Siegfried Bross are available in English, French and Dutch.
• “Arbeitnehmerrechte: Landtag erhöht Druck auf Europäisches Patentamt” (BR, 20 April 2016).
• “Abendschau”, starting from 08′00″ (BR, 19 April 2016 18:00).
• “Les retards de l’Office européen des brevets inquiètent la France” (EurActiv France avec l'AFP, 18 April 2016). Translations are available in English, German and Dutch.
• “EOB: Bastion van tirannie en angst” (Praktijkblad Ondernemingsraad, 13 April 2016). Translations are available in English, French and German.
• “Der Streit im Europäischen Patentamt eskaliert” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 11 April 2016), only in paper version.
• “More than 2,600 join EPO strike” (WIPR, 8 April 2016).
• “Euro patent office strike” (The Register, 7 April 2016).
• “Europäisches Patentamt: Streik gegen Entlassung von Gewerkschaftern” (Heise, 6 April 2016). Translations are available in English, French and Dutch.
• “Strafanzeigen im Patentamt - Der Aufstand im Paradies weitet sich aus” (Handelsblatt, 6 April 2016). Translations are available in English, French and Dutch.
• “EPO responds to ‘regrettable’ strike” (WIPR, 05 April 2016).
• “Strike! EPO staff to walk out this Thursday” (The Register, 4 April 2016).
• “EPO strike confirmed for April 7” (WIPR, 4 April 2016).
• “Personeel Europees Octrooibureau gaat staken; wantrouwen tussen top en werknemers loopt op” (omroepwest.nl, 4 April 2016). Translations are available in English, French and German.