Click for full view

"The proposed regulations in CA/52/16," we have learned, "on “standards of conduct” and investigations - would give even more power to the Investigative Unit. These regulations would also impose on staff the obligation to denounce their colleagues for any behaviour that is not in line with ill-defined “standards of conduct” or a long list of possible misconducts. Significantly, this obligation does not apply to “documents, deeds, reports, notes or information covered by specific requirements of confidentiality under the legal framework of the Organisation”, i.e. to misconduct by the Investigative Unit or other parts of the administration. Previous references to data protection regulations have disappeared. The list of possible misconducts does not form part of the service regulations themselves but of revised Circular 342, the “Investigation Guidelines”, which the EPO president can change himself at any time, without approval of the Council. The non-exhaustive 'list of possible misconducts' is in Article 2 of the president's proposal for a revised Circular 342 – Investigation Guidelines" (shown above, click to focus). ⬆