As of 29 April 2022, a new Ombuds Service is available to support stakeholders who experience difficulties in their dealings with the EPO and who have exhausted regular channels for resolution. The EPO says that the Ombuds Office will act as a facilitator in these exceptional cases and help resolve issues in an informal, confidential and neutral environment.

The EPO says that the new Ombuds service is part of the EPO’s commitment to continuously improving its products and services and was devised using input from a recent stakeholder consultation. It complements existing services such as the complaints service and does not address Boards of Appeal matters.

Anyone who wishes to raise an issue with the Ombuds Office can do so by contacting ombuds@epo.org. Requests should include full name and contact details, as well as a short description of the issue.

More information on the Ombuds Office, its processes, data handling and confidentiality is available on the Ombuds Office’s page. To read the EPO’s announcement in full, click here.