Report from the 100th Council Meeting held on 8 November 2025 in Nice (France)
8 November 2025, Nice, FR
Pre-Council Celebration Event
The 100th Council Meeting began with a celebration event on Friday afternoon, 7 November 2025, featuring a retrospective of the institute’s history and a forward-looking perspective. The celebration itself is covered in the previous report, this report focuses on the Council’s main discussions and outcomes.
Report from the 100th Council Meeting
1/ Meeting Opening
The meeting was opened by President Peter Thomsen on 8 November 2025. Council was informed on applicable rules for data protection and privacy policy. Marie Andrée Vautard Agostini (FR) and Allison Brizio Delaporte (FR) were appointed as scrutineers.
2/ Adoption of the Agenda
The Council agreed not to deal with the report of the Disciplinary Committee (Agenda item 9) before the discussion on the reform of the Disciplinary System (Agenda item 8). This decision was made to prioritize the comprehensive reform discussion.
The Agenda was adopted with proposed amendments.
3/ Adoption of the Minutes of the 99th Council Meeting
The Minutes of the 99th Council Meeting in Vilnius were approved with proposed amendments.
4/ Matters Arising from Previous Decisions and Actions
The matters arising from previous decisions were mentioned as listed in the accumulated file.
5/ Confirmation of the List of Nominations for Elections to Committees
The list of nominations for elections to committees was confirmed.
6/ Reform of the Disciplinary System
- Council generally supported the revision of the disciplinary system, particularly abolishing the Disciplinary Board (DB) and expanding the power and responsibility of the new Disciplinary Committee (DC). This was affirmed by a vote where Motion 1 of the Joint Working Group, supporting this general revision, passed with 57% of the votes.
- The inclusion of legally qualified members in the Disciplinary Committee was supported. In a vote between Motion Poth, proposing only epi members, and Motion 7 of the Joint Working Group, supporting legally qualified members, Motion 7 was passed with 54.96% of the votes.
- The composition of the DC for handling complaints will include at least two professional representatives and at least one legally qualified member, provided that there is a majority of professional representatives. This was decided in a vote where Motion 8 of the Joint Working Group was passed with 63.87% of the votes, against Motion Poth’s proposal for a composition of three professional representatives.
- Any member of the Institute may nominate themselves for election into the New Disciplinary Committee, and the rules and requirements for such nominations shall be approved by the epi Council. This motion, proposed by Vice-President Katerina Hartvichova and Secretary General Magdalena Augustyniak, was passed with 92.31% in favour.
- The new rules should ensure that Council Members may propose Members for the Disciplinary Committee (DC) and Council may appoint Members for the DC independently from the epi Board or epi Presidium. This motion, proposed by Hansjörg Kley and Paul Rosenich, was passed with 54.78% in favour.
- The Chair and the Vice Chair of the DC shall not be elected by the members of DC but by Council. This motion, proposed by Wolfgang Poth, was passed with 63.64% in favour.
- Complaints filed under the old RDR which have been referred to the DB will be dealt with by the present DB for a period of a maximum of two years, after which any remaining complaints will be transferred to the new DC. This motion was passed with 86.78% in favour.
- The epi Working Group on the Disciplinary System shall, with the assistance of the epi members of the epi/EPO/BoA Working Group and the By-Laws Committee, present to the next Council meeting proposals for implementing the new RDR.
- The revised proposal for the RDR and/or By-Laws and/or the Founding Regulation shall be accompanied by a detailed explanatory report explaining the motivation and reasoning for each amended or new Article, including any current shortcomings in practice.
- A proposal for an online Council meeting scheduled for 30 January 2026 was agreed upon to further discuss the reform of the disciplinary system, with 83.83% in favour.
7/ Treasurer’s Report and Financial Matters
- The annual subscription for 2026 was set at 250 EUR, with an increased annual subscription of 375 EUR in case of late payment. This motion passed with 96.15% in favour.
- The annual budget for 2026 was approved.
- Proposed amendments to Articles 21.3 and 23.2(c) of the By-Laws, concerning the release of the Treasurer and Board members from liability, were approved with 95.05% in favour. This clarifies the process for the Auditors to propose the motion for the release of the Treasurer, Zsolt Szentpeteri, and other Board members from financial liability.
- Amendments to Article 16 of the By-Laws, requiring signatures by two persons for financial transactions, were approved to enter into force on 1 January 2026, with 100% in favour. This decision strengthens financial oversight.
8/ Title Recommendation
Amendments to the Recommendation of the Council concerning the professional designation title were approved. The recommendation now explicitly states that the professional title “UPC Representative” is recommended for a member who is authorized to represent parties before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) according to Art. 48.2 Unified Patent Courst Agreement (UPCA) and who is registered on the list mentioned in Art. 48.3, last sentence. This title can be used in addition to the title “European Patent Attorney” or any of its equivalent titles in other languages. Alternatively, the professional title “European Patent Litigator” may be used in addition to the title “European Patent Attorney” or any of its equivalent titles in other languages. This decision also rescinded Decision 25 of C93 and deleted Section 4.2.2.3 of the Collection of Decisions Recommendation.
9/ Committee Elections
- Biotechnology Committee: Adrian Victor Golser was elected as a full member for CY.
- European Patent Practice Committee: Vuk Lutovac was elected as a full member for ME.
- Litigation Committee: Vuk Lutovac was elected as a full member for ME. Indra Jonane-Osa was elected as a substitute member for LV, Nada Herak was elected as a substitute member for RO, and Janina Marie Hannele Hakanpäa was elected as a substitute member for FI.
- Professional Conduct Committee: Zeljka Brkic was elected as a full member for RS. Howard Graham Read was elected as a substitute member for NO.
- Professional Education Committee: Manuela-Cornelia Munteanu was elected as a substitute member for RO, Ivona Sosic was elected as a substitute member for HR, and Anders Kjer Pedersen was elected as a substitute member for DK.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee: John Gray (GB), Jonna Elisabeth Sahlin (FI), Marc Nevant (FR), Fatema Elyasali Sardharwala (GB), Christian A. Mohr (DE), Olga Rousseva Sirakova (BG), Anniina Vattulainen Erkkilä (FI), Vasiliki Kosti (GR), Ewa Malewska (PL), Tum Thach (MC), Eric Cogniat (CH), and Monika Gabriele Honecker (DE) were elected as full members.
- Committees’ Election Committee: Zeljka Brkic (RS), Adriaan van Kooij (NL), and Christian A. Mohr (DE) were elected as full members.
10/ Article 13 Founding Regulation Deletion Motion
The Council rejected the motion, proposed by Hansjörg Kley, for the deletion of Article 13 of the Founding Regulation and consequential deletions in the By-Laws. This motion received only 19.70% in favour, indicating strong support for retaining the provision for General Meetings.
11/ CPE Guidelines
The Council agreed with the Working Group preparing guidelines for epi members to keep their professional knowledge up to date, as stated in Article 1(c) of the Code of Conduct. This motion passed with 67.44% in favour.
12/ epi Studentship
The Council agreed to amend the Rules governing epi studentship as proposed. The most significant change is allowing candidates who are not currently under supervision or employed by a patent firm to become epi students. This includes individuals who have completed at least two years of professional training or employment and declare their intention to sit the EQE. This broadens access for candidates on parental leave, fulfilling national training requirements, or facing other circumstances preventing regular employment.
13/ Term Limitation of Committee Chairs
The Council approved the proposed amendments to the By-Laws regarding the limitation of the term of Committee Chairs to three consecutive terms, to enter into force on 1 January 2026. This includes a transitional provision allowing Committee Chairs who have already served three or more terms as of the 2026 Autumn Council to serve one additional full term. An exception was made for the amendment of Article 18.4 Bye-Laws, which will enter into force for the election of the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee at the date both the revised RDR and revised AddRoP DC enter into force. This motion passed with 76.00% in favour.
14/ Adoption of C100 Decisions and Actions
Secretary General Magdalena Augustyniak (PL) read the list of decisions and actions taken during the meeting. The Council adopted the list of decisions and actions from the C100 meeting.
