CNIPA and EPO Extend PCT ISA Pilot Programme until 2031

On 22 September 2025, the annual meeting of the heads of European Patent Office (EPO) and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) was held in Porto, Portugal. This year's meeting marked 40 years of close cooperation between the two Offices.

At the meeting, Mr. António Campinos, president of the EPO, and Mr. Shen Changyu, commissioner of the CNIPA, agreed to extend until 30 November 2031 their pilot programme under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) framework, which allows Chinese innovators the option of designating the EPO as an International Searching Authority (ISA).

By choosing the EPO as their ISA, Chinese applicants can accelerate the European patent grant process when entering the European phase and bypass supplementary search, thereby saving substantial time and cost. Also, the extended pilot maintains the 75% reduction in the examination fee for Chinese applicants when requesting international preliminary examination under PCT Chapter II with the EPO.

The pilot's capacity remains limited to 3,000 applications per year, to ensure access to its benefits by a broad range of applicants, and the applications must be filed in English.