Summary: In spite of the lack of media coverage, EPO insiders (mostly people who have worked at the EPO for quite a while) see the downward spiral in patent quality and they do not trust the management
"In the United Kingdom, the Foreign Enlistment Act 1819 and the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 make it unlawful for British subjects to join the armed forces of any state warring with another state at peace with Britain."