EPO rebukes staff exclusion claim

The European Patent Office (EPO) has rebuked claims that staff representatives were barred from attending a recent meeting.

In a statement, an EPO spokesman told WIPR that the central staff committee (CSC) had failed to fully constitute itself and legitimately nominate staff to attend the meeting held by the EPO’s supervisory body, the administrative council (AC).

Yesterday WIPR reported that members of the CSC had been told they could not attend the meeting, in what sources said was the first time their presence had been denied.

According to EPO rules of procedure, staff representatives have the right to attend AC meetings but approval is at the discretion of the president, Benoît Battistelli.

A worker told WIPR: “To the best of our knowledge and according to staff representatives, there has never been a case to date where the president has refused approval.”

According to sources, the refusal may have been a result of recent staff elections at the office that resulted in new members being elected to the CSC and local staff committees at each EPO office.

The CSC, which comprises members from all four EPO offices, has to meet in one location to constitute itself but its plan to arrange a meeting within the last month was allegedly disrupted after it was denied travel.

But an EPO spokesman said the CSC had been given “several meetings and reminders” to do this.

“Since July 1, the newly elected CSC has not been able to appoint its chair, deputy chair or secretary, nor did the CSC nominate a delegation legitimated by its full members in spite of several meetings and reminders.”

He added: “There was then no appropriate way of knowing which persons should represent the CSC. As soon as they proceed with the nominations according to the rules, they will of course be entitled again to participate as observers to the AC.”