10.26.16
Budget and Finance Committee of the Administrative Council (EPO) Confirms Exile of the Boards of Appeal
The “yes men” of Battistelli, led by his political pet chinchilla, do what’s expected from them
Reference: Yes man
Summary: Crushing of highly-skilled staff, propaganda in the form of new press releases, and recruitment attempts that won’t succeed because the world now knows what goes on inside the European Patent Office
THIS WOULD take a miracle not to happen, given everything we’ve seen so far at the European Patent Office (EPO). This would be almost unthinkable and irrational to suggest that the Administrative Council can say “no” to Battistelli. At best they say nothing and indeed that’s what just happened.
According to this new comment: “Latest news from is that the Budget & Finance Committee of the Admin Council has approved the “resettlement” of the Boards of Appeal to Haar.”
Another person told us [1, 2, 3]: “European Patent Office-BFC meeting: BoA removal/relocation to Haar – Munich Approved! Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Norway, France voted against, 13 voted for and 15 abstained! It’s a shame that 15 (yeah read fifteen) countries abstained!!! BIG FAIL! Gruss an Frau Merkel, wir schaffen das!”
Again, we cannot honestly say that we’re surprised. But now it’s confirmed. The future of the boards does not look independent or even promising. Quite the contrary is true…
At the EPO, as another new comment put it today, “most of the people being fired joined long before these new rules” created by Battistelli. This means that some of the experienced and better paid workers and being let go. Here is the full comment:
1. Now you are beginning to understand the problem. To be fair most of the people being fired joined long before these new rules applied so I don’t think you can call them stupid.
2. Don’t forget that this largesse is in the hands of the President. So… Bonuses to the wonderful senior management to start. National offices will be able to find something to do with what is left over.
“Don’t forget that there’s an election campaign coming up in France,” another person added. Remember that Battistelli is Sarkozy-connected and mind this new comment from Benjamin Henrion, who today said that the “EPO is a political animal.” It really is, but it oughtn’t have been. In fact, Battistelli’s involvement in politics should have immediately disqualified him; he should never have worked at the EPO — an unaccountable institution where he pulls political tricks and brings the world of political corruption to an inherently scientific working place. The EPO, working with a secretive budget, is now pushing PRESS RELEASES (i.e. paid-for ‘articles’) into various sites across Europe in order to promote its so-called ‘study’ (self-promotional, paid-for fiction). Here is the latest example of that. Yesterday we wrote about yet another puff piece from the EUIPO and EPO [1, 2]. It smacks of marketing, it’s not a study at all (we rebutted parts of the whole). Is this intended to help recruitment, which is in a very sad state?
As one more comment put it earlier today, “only stupid people would chose to work for the EPO today.” Here is the full comment:
1: I am not saying the people already in are stupid, but that only stupid people would chose to work for the EPO today. Who is going to apply for a job under these conditions? Besides, there are plenty of “normal” employers looking for engineers in Munich, BMW for example. Don’t you think it is a much smarter move to work for BMW, which will pay your pensions and where any experience you get will be valuable in your career than for the EPO? The pay is not that different, especially if one has a few years experience, which the EPO will not take into account. The question is therefore: how can the EPO expect to recruit?
2: “largesses and election campaign”: the EPO is a public administration. That would be embezzlement. Surely, there must be some rules and controls of the finances?
Here is a new comment about the lack of supervision or oversight at the EPO, by Battistelli’s own making (he eliminated the Audit Committee shortly after he had gained/seized power):
“largesses and election campaign”: the EPO is a public administration. That would be embezzlement. Surely, there must be some rules and controls of the finances?
Dream on. The Administrative Council abolished its Audit Committee back in 2011 (about a year or so after it had been set up …).
http://techrights.org/2014/10/31/brimelow-and-battistelli/But yes, there are “rules and controls of the finances”.
There’s even an “internal audit” department (which is mostly occupied with investigations against staff reps these days).And just for good measure, all internal audit functions are under the control of the President …
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
The EPO is in a very bad state, even "a crisis" by the Board's private admission. Right now they do everything to just deepen this crisis. It’s painful to watch. █
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