“I am pleased that the European Parliament and the Member States have reached this long-awaited agreement. This is an historic agreement because it has taken us many decades to get here.
Since the 1960s, this project has been put forward, with successive failures. When I took up office, I said that I would not be the first Commissioner to work on the file but that I hoped to be the last.
The figures speak for themselves. In the United States, in 2011, 224 000 patents were granted, in China 172 000 while here in Europe only 62 000 European patents were delivered. One of the reasons for this difference is without a doubt the prohibitive cost and the complexity of obtaining patent protection throughout the single market. The new texts adopted open the way to simplified procedures and a reduction by one-seventh in the costs for our businesses of protecting their innovations in 25 EU countries. I hope that Spain and Italy will join this new regime as soon as possible, so that this protection will be valid in all 27 Member States.
With this far-reaching agreement, the European Parliament and the Council bring a decisive contribution to the implementation of the economic and growth agenda.
The unitary patent package should bring other results in the implementation of this agenda. The economy, business and consumers need them. And citizens are also waiting for proof, as today with the patent, of what we are doing together for economic progress and employment – that is for the benefit of all Europeans.” Here to read more.
