On September 16, the National Intellectual Property Administration of China and the European Patent Office reached an agreement to prolong the pilot project of the two bureaus that have achieved positive results until November 30, 2023. 

Chinese patent applicants may continue to choose the European Patent Office as the international search authority when submitting international applications in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). 

The core business of PCT international patent application system lies in international search and international preliminary examination. While emphasizing on PCT international patent application system with its high-quality international search reports and international preliminary examination reports, China has proved that its knowledge level and operational ability in PCT international patent application system can meet the demands of both fairness and efficiency of PCT international patent application. 

According to the consensus reached by the China-Europe Bureau, the pilot project started on December 1, 2020, and, as the outcome exceeds expectation, will be extended for one year to November 30, 2023, with a maximum application volume of 3,000 during the extension period. According to the joint communique, local companies and international companies with branches in China are particularly active in this project. 

Compared with the standard procedure of PCT application in Europe, which may last for up to 6 years, participants in this pilot project can choose the European Patent Office for international search, which will not only enable project participants to enjoy greater legal certainty before entering the European stage, but also speed up the review process in the European stage for more than 30 months.