The European Patent Office (EPO), the Second-Largest Institution in Europe, is Cracking Down on Recreational Activities
Last month: European Corruption in the European Patent Office (EPO) Targets Culture
The European Patent Office's Local Staff Committee Munich (LSCMN) spoke about the Amicale (or AMICALE) again on Tuesday. It said to staff: "The second edition 2025 of the Campus Days is taking place on 14 and 15 October. At the same time, a reform called the "Amicale Project" is running and technical meetings are taking place. On this occasion, the Local Staff Committee Munich reminds that the Amicale is part of the EPO and the EPO should protect the Amicale."
The "Campus Days" (like a local tour) is about recruitment. The EPO's management lies to potential/prospective candidates about the job, in effect riding the old reputation of the EPO (predating Benoît Battistelli and António Campinos).
Days earlier the Central Staff Committee (CSC) wrote about the Amicale in a detailed publication, which it summarised as follows:
On September 24th, staff representatives were invited to a first meeting with the administration to discuss the reform of the legal framework concerning the AMICALE.
Prior to the meeting, staff representatives had asked for the draft legal text so that discussions could be based on the actual content of the proposed reforms.
The administration did not provide the document, explaining that the text was still evolving because of ongoing consultations with the working group and AMICALE colleagues, despite the discussions being underway for over a year prior to the staff representation being involved. Instead, some basic presentation slides were shown during the meeting.
A further meeting is planned for October 10th. Prior to this meeting the staff representation have requested to be provided with;
the proposed legal framework with tracked changes to those currently in force,
the internal audit with an indication of the portions that lead to the reform,
documents detailing the EPO’s liability insurance coverage, and
the results of the meetings with the AMICALE representatives.
Here's the full text of the full publication:
Zentraler Personalausschuss
Central Staff Committee
Le Comité Central du PersonnelThe Hague, 29-09-2025
sc25055cpAMICALE project
Report on the first technical meeting with staff representatives on 24 September 2025Dear colleagues,
On September 24th, staff representatives were invited to a first meeting with the administration to discuss the reform of the legal framework concerning the AMICALE. Prior to the meeting, staff representatives had asked for the draft legal text so that discussions could be based on the actual content of the proposed reforms. The administration did not provide the document, explaining that the text was still evolving because of ongoing consultations with the working group and AMICALE colleagues, despite the discussions being underway for over a year prior to the staff representation being involved. Instead, some basic presentation slides were shown during the meeting.
Staff representatives underlined that without access to the draft legal document it is very difficult to understand the scope and impact of the planned reforms. The reasons for the reform were also requested, which the administration stated was due to an internal audit in 2022. It was stressed that the changes under discussion, especially those related to budget approval and stronger oversight from the administration, risk undermining the independence and autonomy of the AMICALE committees. Such measures could discourage staff from volunteering, which would put at risk the wide range of activities currently offered by the AMICALE.
Another key concern raised was the time budget available to AMICALE committee members. Staff representatives pointed out that the current allocation is already insufficient and emphasised the need to safeguard the current provision of at least two full-time equivalents across all sites as a protected minimum, and that any time budget was reflected with suitable measures also for non-examiner staff members. They also warned that any reduction of this time budget would further compromise the ability of the AMICALE to continue its work effectively.
Regarding the AMICALE clubs, the administration expressed surprise that the club representatives seemed to be underinformed regarding their personal liability for any issues that would arise during club organised activities. The staff representatives noted that the documents regarding the liability insurance of the Office had still not been provided to the club representatives, despite it being requested during the club meetings. It was further emphasised that changes to the club regulations, that may require significant extra time dedication for bureaucratic processes, also put at risk the continuation of many clubs and their valuable service to staff and the Office.
The administration stated its intention that the respective unit within HR (Community Relations) would support clubs and their representatives to create and run a club according to local law. The staff representatives made aware that the legal frameworks of our host countries differ significantly and therefore more resources and/or site specific rules might be considered upfront. This could also be valid due to the different sizes of the office branches.
In conclusion, staff representatives insisted that any changes to be made should preserve the independence of AMICALE and provide adequate resources in terms of financing and time budget, which are essential for ensuring the continuation of voluntary engagement and the success of AMICALE activities.
A further meeting is planned for October 10th. Prior to this meeting the staff representation have requested to be provided with;
• the proposed legal framework with tracked changes to those currently in force,
• the internal audit with an indication of the portions that lead to the reform,
• documents detailing the EPO’s liability insurance coverage, and
• the results of the meetings with the AMICALE representatives.
The Central Staff Committee
Without AMICALE activities, and as staff already says it's pressured to work more for less, how can the EPO recruit bright people? █