29/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – At the 159th meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Office (EPO), representatives of the 38 Member States discussed with concern the need to find a short-term solution after the EPO Board of Appeal's decision T 1063/18, according to a statement of 29 March. As a reminder, this decision paves the way for the patenting of pepper seeds obtained by conventional processes, which would be contrary to the EPO Regulation (see EUROPE 12220/14) and would cause legal uncertainty, according to many States. Therefore, the President of the EPO, António Campinos, announced that he would turn to the Enlarged Board of Appeal, whose main task is to ensure a uniform application of the European Patent Convention (EPC). This situation also worries many NGOs, who fear “legal chaos” (see EUROPE 12221/20). (PH)