Presentation
“SUEPO stands for Staff Union of the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO has sites in Berlin, Munich, The Hague and Vienna. Likewise SUEPO is made up of four local sections at the four sites. Approximately 50% of the staff of the respective sites are members. Just as the EPO evolved from the “Institut international des brevets” (IIB), SUEPO was born in 1979 out of the “Syndicat du Personnel de l’Institut international des brevets” (SP-IIB) which was founded in 1969.
SUEPO takes particular care to maintain acceptable working conditions for the Staff of the European Patent Office. This concerns not only remuneration and pensions, but also fundamental rights and a wide range of everyday aspects of working conditions at the EPO, such as working time, working pressure and ergonomics.
Unlike Labour Law in national civil services, the rules dictating employment conditions and rights at the EPO are determined by the Office’s Administrative Council, a group of national representatives who oversee the running of the Office. These rules and rights in turn are set down in an internal EPO “Codex”. The result is that this wide range of aspects of labour law and fundamental rights normally regulated by national parliaments or European Institutions is determined by an organ with only limited accountability, be it only because of the fact that the supervision of the functioning of the Administrative Council is the responsibility of the parliaments of the 38 Contracting States.
Public interest is our interest. The keyword is innovation and a high quality protection through the EPO staff’s work. Innovation is the driving force behind the European economy and provides employment for our members.”
Contact us
Office européen des Brevets / European Patent Office
Patentlaan, 2
B.P. 5818
NL – 2280 HV Rijswijk
Tel : +31.70.340.3605 – Fax : +31.70.340.3707
President : Alain ROSE
E-mail : suepothenhague@gmail.com
Congress Emergency Resolution on EPO
The Member Organisations of Union Syndicale Fédérale, gathered in Congress in Bratislava, adopted on 2 June 2019 an emergency resolution on the situation of EPO staff and the unfair treatment of SUEPO trade unionists. Adopted unanimously, this emergency resolution was forwarded to the Director and the Governing Board of the EPO as soon as the Congress closed. Emergency resolution (EN)
EOB: USF once again warns EPO director on worrying results of internal survey
With a letter dated 29th January 2019, USF drew Mr Campinos' attention to the negative perception of the abusive - and for several of them still unresolved - disciplinary cases against staff or union representatives at the EPO and the personal suffering the situation still entails. In the meantime, a survey has been run at the EPO which seems to reveal/shows very worrying results calling for an analysis to be run jointly by the EPO President and the EPO staff representation / SUEPO. Download here the Letter from USF Pres. to Mr Campinos Dir. of EOB 29 APRIL 2019 Related documents: [...]
EPO: USF asks for amnesty
In French only ! L'union Syndicale Fédérale a parfaitement conscience des difficultés sérieuses crées à l'OEB dans de nombreux domaines d'activité par votre prédécesseur ... USF - EPO - Amnesty letter
Status of EPO disciplinary cases
In June 2014, despite staff protests and a written position by the staff union, the Administrative Council (AC) of the European Patent Office (EPO) endorsed the extension of Mr Battistelli’s term as the EPO President from July 2015 to June 2018. The last four years of his presidency will be remembered as an era of institutionalised harassment and bullying ... *a publication by a group truly anonymous and not linked to SUEPO which reports very clearly the situation we faced at EPO currently: 20181114 - EPO - Flier 42 - Status of disciplinary cases *a CSC letter to staff [...]