Presidency aims for consensus regarding EU Patent
During the first part of the Informal Competitiveness Council, the EU Patent dossier, and especially its language regime, was discussed today.
The Belgian Presidency aims to reach a consensus between the 27 member states regarding the EU Patent. Such an agreement would have an extremely favourable impact on the innovation climate in Europe, a necessity to ensure future European growth. The business world has been demanding an unambiguous and affordable solution with legal certainty for some time and rightly so.
Major steps were taken in today’s discussion towards a consensus solution. Today, the majority of member states recognised the importance of an urgent solution during the Belgian Presidency and sided with the text on this subject that was drawn up by the European Commission at the end of June. However, a small minority of member states still had remarks concerning this text or formulated a counterproposal.
In order to find a solution that everyone agrees with, the Belgian Presidency will cooperate with all delegations over the next few days and weeks, to amend the European Commission’s proposal where necessary. All necessary bilateral contacts will be made for this. The dossier will be put on the agenda of the Informal Competitiveness Council on 11 and 12 October 2010.
Vincent Van Quickenborne: “Today, concrete progress was made on the EU Patent dossier, which has been blocked for far too long. Our knowledge intensive businesses are dying for a feasible patent system that enables them to fully protect and realise their technology. The existing system is much too complex and expensive compared to other continents. I’m determined to reach a consensus before the end of the Belgian Presidency.”
