The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia accedes to the European Patent Convention

On 28 October 2009, the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MK) deposited its instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC).

The EPC will accordingly enter into force for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 1 January 2009.

The European Patent Organisation will thus comprise the following 35 member states as from 1 January 2009:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Further information concerning the effects of this accession and the provisions which the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has enacted or will enact for the implementation of the EPC will be published on the homepage of the European Patent Office respectively in the Official Journal of the European Patent Office.