The EPO Might Face Critical 'Brain Drain' (Abandonment by the Most Experienced Patent Examiners) This Year
The EPO is going to wipe out any remnants of credibility and - by extension - credibility of European Patents and the illegal kangaroo courts entrusted to judge these.
I did a long video about this topic 2 years ago and it's only getting worse, fast.
This month the Central Staff Committee of the EPO says "a number of colleagues might feel compelled to inform the Administration before the end of May 2025 of their intention to retire as of 1 December 2025."
This is possibly the underlying message or the very intention of these policies. The vision is bad. The grand vision is that of illegal patents being granted in order to hoard more money (profits); for that to happen they recruit inexperienced and underpaid examiners, i.e. people who can barely find relevant prior art and past examples (including existing patents). This is the message from the Central Staff Committee of the EPO:
Dear Colleagues,The financial situation of the EPO has never been so excellent and the Office recently celebrated the “continued revenue growth [which] strengthens further operating result”. Unfortunately, the Office at the same time is steering the Actuarial Study 2025 with overconservative layers of assumptions and targets to impact staff benefits.
In its publication [embedded in this page] of 23 January 2025, the Central Staff Committee (CSC) reported on a meeting of 19 December 2024 on the mandate given to the Actuarial Advisory Group (AAG), during which the administration declared that it expects the actuaries to find a funding gap.
The actuarial valuations by the AAG are to be performed during the first half of 2025 and the report shall be ready by the end of July 2025. The recommendations of the actuaries could be implemented as early as 1 January 2026. In that case, the minimum retirement notice of 6 months (Article 54(2) ServRegs) is such that staff cannot take an informed decision on retiring or not, before the report is made available.
Following our publication [embedded in this page] on the Actuarial Study 2025, many EPO staff have expressed their wish for reassurance that they will be able to retire under the present conditions. The lack of a reply to our publication by Mr Campinos might be interpreted by staff as an intention to take them by surprise.
In this open letter, we strongly request him to ensure that measures are put in place to allow staff to retire under the present conditions.
If this is not done, a number of colleagues might feel compelled to inform the Administration before the end of May 2025 of their intention to retire as of 1 December 2025.
Sincerely yours,
The Central Staff Committee - CSC
Here's the open letter to António Campinos, dated 10 days ago:
European Patent Office
80298 Munich
GermanyCentral Staff Committee
Comité central du personnel
Zentraler PersonalausschusscentralSTCOM@epo.org
Reference: sc2520cl
Date: 07/03/2025European Patent Office | 80298 MUNICH | GERMANY
To: Mr António Campinos (President of the
EPO)By email:
president@epo.orgActuarial Study 2025: Measures for allowing staff to retire under the present conditions
Dear Mr President,
The financial situation of the EPO has never been so excellent and the Office recently celebrated the “continued revenue growth [which] strengthens further operating result”1. Unfortunately, the Office at the same time is steering the Actuarial Study 2025 with overconservative layers of assumptions and targets to impact staff benefits.
In its publication2 of 23 January 2025, the Central Staff Committee (CSC) reported on a meeting of 19 December 2024 on the mandate given to the Actuarial Advisory Group (AAG), during which the administration declared that it expects the actuaries to find a funding gap.
The actuarial valuations by the AAG are to be performed during the first half of 2025 and the report shall be ready by the end of July 2025. The recommendations of the actuaries could be implemented as early as 1 January 2026. In that case, the minimum retirement notice of 6 months3 is such that staff cannot take an informed decision on retiring or not, before the report is made available.
_______
1 “Financial status report November 2024”, Communiqué of 31-01-2025
2 “Actuarial Study 2025: Impact on early retirement factors and pension age”, CSC paper of 23-01-2025 (sc25007cp)
3 Article 54(2) ServRegs
Unsurprisingly, the suboptimal recruitment policy and the reduced replacement ratios have now led the EPO to be staffed now essentially with an aged population:
A significant number of colleagues is already contemplating going on (early) retirement and would therefore be immediately affected by the changes.
Following our publication4 on the Actuarial Study 2025, many EPO staff have expressed their wish for reassurance that they will be able to retire under the present conditions. The lack of a reply to our publication by the administration might be interpreted by staff as an intention to take them by surprise.
In this context, we hereby strongly request you to ensure that measures are put in place to allow staff to retire under the present conditions.
If this is not done, a number of colleagues might feel compelled to inform the Administration before the end of May 2025 of their intention to retire as of 1 December 2025.
Thank you very much in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely yours
Derek Kelly
Chairman of the Central Staff Committee_____
4 “Actuarial Study 2025: Impact on early retirement factors and pension age”, CSC paper of 23-01-2025 (sc25007cp)
What will be left of the EPO if it strives for "efficiency" wherein the goal is to lessen the quality of the work? Just loads and loads of invalid, illegitimate patents, wasting everyone's money. █